iV7.59> 

•G.G)'5, 


|>F  J!RI,l.\lil,E  INFl^EJIATION  00\( 'E1?X1X( :  THE 

Ivc.solirces  of  tlic  Stat(>, 

A  A'  I)  T  11  E 

I  -NT  T3  A.I  O  E  3VL  E  ]Sr  T  S  "W  MICE:  IT  OEEEES  TO 


1  M  AI  I  O  R  j>N  T  S . 


PIIEEIRHED  BY  L.  F.  BEWEY  &  Co..- 

.JArKSOXVIM.K,  1  I.OUIDA. 


18(58. 


f 


PRICE 


5  O  CENTS. 


.. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILf  INOIS 


LOHCITCDC  «*E6T  ff.4  EWOM 


I . 

,Sr.{nJrru*'SJ 


I^vTiiOh#* 


KxrLAx.vrioxs 


iT'nirfV^Tl 


9H  C  f ON  out 


Uiiil  HtmiK  -- 

I  OllkltlMII 

i'.titaK 

Stdtf  -tlTALLAHASSK 

I  ttnnlx  T»n*ux  •  Jii.  U«»tiviU< 
\”»Uai*os  o  h,\'l4iti 

t'“if  s  «  Ft  <t  HOv 


►y..VlTO-,V  S.'llUil 

^4  rriiiriJiiM 


ntrotf 


jiKllT®  X^AIkW 


iulburi 


'IW;!? 


.Vr,  / 


iV.  r////  ’) 


«i»  k  Initi 


Bor 


H,>uu\tA4K^M 


vpirSf  L . 


EDITION  PREPARED  FOR 


irnol  * 


Usavhfn^h 


MKAI.  KS'l  ATI':  1{1M)K):I<S 


ytnXhii 

Jwni/,  -lyr,_ 

.  “  '  V'/ff.7/.rtV  Aj^' 


larlvsom  ilh‘  I  'la 


nrxU' 


)(ir> 

I  hiKi 


SCALC  or  Milts 


/V.CTv/ 


t'tMiuL 


\wmrinii*n 


ItnH  Bor 


lAKB 


]r^M  'I'.tf 


Utpim  Mi'( 
.  /V  U'A'Til 


feflSWVfivrt’.A''- 

/piiTrrt^Rf’r 

VttMHfs- 


•X$£  auf 


^tuAfrohia 


fiXtfU 

lotut  K  nt  ixos 


Lit/trF/irr 


t-os^pa  nlJft 


L  Ilh.tkpo.h 


himtps 

I  fl4Hid_ 


//, 


XtryAf'PTf 

XvffLxphrU. 


Dnlanw 


hult^ 


'Xini'-»  ir  oiK' 

.OviftkTlWlV-. 


Fulm  /'/'.v  .IftVA/A' 


■D^pot 


,  IC. 

Key 

immootthn  S'. 
'Hafajjjmba  S. 


<\4'CNAMr  ♦  ■  Y, 

y /.OB  IP  A  Kay  , 

^  B»M>tf3erk  K 


L»n 


•^htrphdJf  -  THC  CVC«CL^ 
0  \Proi’heilj  l,iiiii{ii\ii t 

n  .Ii’tie.ti\- 

'If  j.lf/ii/uh'ri  I 

jturke^  /.  . 


]FU.ouiler.hKi- 

\ko*B  hi/rt 


fito’bfr. 


'*  ♦»»  Key 

f  'T’.Hoi-iil.'i 

layA 

i  i  C'  Jf 

^ /.AH  no 

Jtiu/i^i/iiet  Key 


'^>^^Svnth^r}•o  hi 


xl«ui|4  y/tArqtujtif 
k  \ 


^VANOF  THe 

/I'DfiJDAMyS 


IFeffenfT 


Ft^ij 


0  ^  PRE'AAEO  • 

.nrv‘'>f  \.'">‘>rim»-iit 
ATLASES!  MARS'S^ 

,1!  ,~  n' 

Geoemphic*' 

AfK  IT/// Jf_ 


DAfOA 

rusTA  DT.  unm 


White  D/jifFneKM'f/rptp 
I’aim  /’'i^^Sidi/iefA 


\Mr-MS.ify  JS  form  t  /c  "i  ildire  •  'VAi-  Ihjtnft  <  'tmrt  .le't/rr  V ntlrJ  Statfj  l',>rlh r  Tturrrrt  ,,f  Xm 


LO^&■TuOf  WtST  fi  FBOM  WASH  I NOTO  *1 . 


f  J 

!  -< 

<|MI  t 

1  IC 

1  1' 

4 

T 

Return  this  book  on  or  befo^  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below,  a 
I  made  on  all  overdo. 

Of  Illinois  Libra^ 


\  L_  iJ  i'-*  '' 


6S6i  ’/  X  ibo 

AUli 

JUN  2 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/floridaitsclimatOOdewe 


FLORIDA. 

v\\ 

ITS 

mi  SOIL,  AND  PEODOCTIONS; 

WITH  A  SKETCH  OF  ITS 


.-V  M  ^  isr  'u  ^  I. 


BLE  INFORMATION  CONCERNING  THE 

i  " 

.  j'ECES  OF  THE  STATE,  AND  THE 
^""^UCEMENTS  WHICH  IT  OFFERS 

TO 

‘  V:  MIGRANTS. 


o  i; 
-j . 

A' 


PUBLISHED  BY 

L.  F.  DEWEY  k  CO., 

JACKSONVILLE,  FLORIDA. 
1868. 


i 


I 


INTEODTJCTIOI. 


Gur  correspondence  is  filled  with  a  multitude  of  questions 
about  Florida,  her  climate,  condition,  capacity  and  prospects. 
These  inquiries  are  mainly  from  earnest  men  who  are  contem¬ 
plating  immigration,  and  whose  very  arixiety  points  them  out  as. 
the  class  of  men  from  which  the  most  desirable  accession  to  our 
population  will  come. 

The  impossibility  of  giving  adequate  and  satisfactory  answers 
to  this  multitude  of  questions,  by  letter,  has  led  us  to  the  compi¬ 
lation  of  this  pamphlet. 

Our  object  is,  not  to  make  a  “  book”  on  Florida,  but  simply, 
to  give,  in  few  words,  information  that  may  be  relied  on  as  cor¬ 
rect,  and  that  will  as  fully  as  possible  respond  to  the  questions 
that  are  asked,  as  well  as  to  those  that  would  naturally  suggest 
themselves  to  the  minds  of  those  who  are  looking  to  this  State  as 
their  possible  future  home. 

We  shall  consult  the  most  authentic  sources  of  information, 
and,  while  we  may  not  always  cite  the  authorities  referred  to,  we 
ntend  to  give  a  truthful  statement  in  regard  to  any  matter 
touched  upon;  and  wherever  positive  statements  of  fact  are 
made,  they  may  be  implicitly  relied  upon. 

The  whole  subject  naturally  presents  itself  under  various 
heads,  and  will  be  so  treated. 

-  - 


Intkoduction, 

History, . 

Geography,  . . 

Society, . 

Climate, . 

Soil, . 


CONTENTS. 


Page  2 
.  “  3 
.  “  5 

i( 

“  12 
.  “  22 


Productions, . Page  28 

Field  Crops, .  “28 

Garden  Vegetables,  “  35 

Fruits, .  “38 

Miscellaneous, .  “  -  4 

General  INFOR3IATION,  “  48 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868.  by 
L.  F.  DEWEY  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Northern  District  of  Florida. 


917.59 

FG63 


HISTORY. 


^  Some  little  knowledge  of  the  history  of  Florida  is  indispens- 
able  to  a  right  understanding  and  appreciation  of  her  present 
^condition;  for,  without  such  knowledge,  the  scantiness  of  the 
^  present  population  of  the  State  is  perfectly  inexplicable,  when 
^  taken  in  connection  with  its  natural  fertility,  its  genial  climate 
and  the  immense  scope  of  its  possible  agricultural  production. 
If  Florida  has  such  a  desirable  climate  and  such  a  variety  and 
power  of  vegetable  growth,  “  why  are  there  not  more  people 
there?”  is  an  inevitable  question,  which  is  best  answered  by  a 
'  glance  at  her  past  history. 

Florida  was  first  discovered  in  1497,  by  Sebastian  Cabot,  a 
J  navigator,  sailing  under  the  English  Flag;  but  formal  posses- 
^  sion  of  her  territory  was  first  taken,  in  behalf  of  Spain,  by  De 
Narvaes  in  1525.  In  1562  it  is  probable  that  a  temporary 
settlement  was  formed  near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  by 
.  Ribault,  a  Frenchman. 

In  1564,  under  the  protection  of  Admiral  Coligny,  a  settlement 
^  of  Huguenots  was  formed  under  the  leadership  of  Lardoniere  on 
j  the  south  bank  of  the  St.  Johns,  and  about  six  leagues  above 
its  mouth.  This  settlement  was  called  Carolin,  and  was  com- 
XP^etely  destroyed  by  the  Spaniards  under  Menendez  in  1565, 
who  massacred  all  that  escaped  death  in  the  fight  “  not  as 
Frenchmen,  but  as  heretics.”  This  murderous  act  was  fully 
'>^avenged  by  a  Frenchman,  De  Gourgas,  who,  in  1659  led  an 
fH^expedition  especially  against  Fort  Carolin,  and  massacred  the 
'^Spanish  garrison  “not  as  Spaniards  but  as  murderers.” 

In  1565,  the  same  Menendez  founded  a  Spanish  colony  at  St. 
Augustine,  thus  establishing  the  first  permanent  European  town 
on  the  continent  of  North  America. 

In  1584,  as  the  result  of  various  expeditions,  the  area  of  Span- 
^  ish  occupation  and  conquest  had  become  so  extended  that  the 
authority  of  Spain  was  acknowledged  by  the  natives,  not  only 
throughout  Florida,  but  as  far  west  as  the  Mississippi,  and  as 
far  north  as  the  mountains  of  Georgia. 

In  1586  St.  Augustine  was  attacked  and  plundered  by  a  party 
i  of  English  adventurers  under  Drake.  In  1611  it  was  pillaged 
^  ^  by  the  Indians ;  and  in  1665  was  sacked  by  another  party  of 
English  pirates  under  Davis. 

In  1689  Pensacola  was  settled  by  the  Spanish. 


867944 


4 


In  1702  St.  Augustine  was  unsuccessfully  attacked  by  Gov. 
Moore,  of  the  English  Colony  of  South  Carolina.  In  1725  Col. 
Palmer  of  Georgia  also  failed  in  an  effort  to  take  the  city ;  and 
in  1740  Gen.  Oglethorpe,  of  Georgia,  was  signally  repulsed  in 
a  similar  undertaking. 

In  1763  the  whole  territory  of  Floi-ida  was  ceded  by  Spain  to 
Great  Britain,  but  the  entire  population  of  the  territory,  at  the 
time  of  the  cession,  did  not  exceed  six  hundred. 

In  1767  Doct.  Turnbull,  an  English  colonist  located  at  New 
Smyrna,  imported  fifteen  hundred  Corsicans  and  Minorcans 
having  deluded  them  by  unstinted  promises  of  land  and  employ¬ 
ment  at  high  wages,  and  then  subjected  them  to  a  systematic 
oppression,  similar  and  scarce  less  severe  than  slavery,  till  after 
the  lapse  of  some  ten  years,  they  escaped  in  a  body  from  his 
servitude,  and  betook  themselves  to  St.  Augustine,  where  they 
settled  down  and  ultimately  became  a  prominent  and  valuable 
element  of  the  population  of  that  section. 

In  1781  the  Spanish  captured  Pensacola,  and  the  English 
again  lost  possession  of  Florida;  and  in  1784  the  territory  wai: 
once  more  formally  ceded  to  Spain. 

In  1812  Fernandina  capitulated  to  troops  of  the  United  States 
but  was,  during  the  next  year,  re-delivered  to  the  Spanish 
Government. 

In  1814  the  English  forces,  under  command  of  Col.  Nichole 
entered  and  manned  the  forts  at  Pensacola,  although  the  whoh 
territory  was  nominally  under  the  control  of  Spain  ;  and  in  18U 
Gen.  J ackson  attacked  and  captured  Pensacola  in  behalf  of  th( 
United  States. 

In  1819  Florida  was  purchased  by  the  United  States,  and  wa; 
formally  ceded  by  Spain.  In  1822  a  territorial  government  wai 
established;  in  1845  Florida  was  admitted  to  the  Union;  and  ii 
January  1861  she  seceded. 

Such  is  a  brief  abstract  of  the  leading  facts  in  the  history  o 
Florida.  What  a  picture  it  presents  !  Discovered  in  149/,  per 
man  ently  settled  in  1565,  ceded  to  Great  Britain  in  1763,  with  .■ 
population  of  only  six  hundred,  after  a  colonial  existence  of  tw< 
hundred  years,  re-ceded  to  Spain  in  1784,  sold  and  ceded  to  th* 
United  States  in  1819,  receiving  a  territorial  government  in  1822 
admitted  to  the  Union  in  1845,  seceding  in  1861,  and  re-con 
structed  in  1868 ;  sacked  and  pillaged  repeatedly  by  Europeans 
shifting  its  nationality  from  time  to  time  and  losing  almost  it 
entire  population  in  each  change;  harrassed  and  plundered  b^ 
repeated  Indian  wars  from  1816  to  1858,  and  just  as  prosperity 
began  to  dawn,  plunged  unnecessarily  into  the  useless  slaughte; 
of  a  hopeless  rebellion,  she  has  suffered  every  evil,  political  anc 
social,  that  does  not  involve  absolute  extinction. 

The  wonder  truly  is,  not  that  she  has  not  attained  a  mon 


5 


flourishing  condition,  but  that  she  exists  at  all,  and  that  her 
boundless  forests,  her  lovely  rivers  and  her  beautiful  lakes  are 
not  fast  locked  in  the  silent  embrace  of  a  moveless  desolation. 

Without  such  reference  to  her  previous  history,  there  would 
be  an  irreconcilable  discrepancy  between  the  present  condition 
of  Florida  and  that  which  might  naturally  be  expected  from  a 
consideration  of  her  fertility,  her  climate,  and  her  resources. 


aEOGEAPHY. 


The  geography  of  Florida  is  unique,  and  is  of  special  interest, 
because  many  of  the  important  characteristics  of  the  State  which 
seem  to  be  contradictory,  if  not  impossible,  are  easily  explained 
by  a  consideration  of  its  peculiar  position  and  geographical 
character. 

The  shape  of  Florida  is  somewhat  like  that  of  a  boot  upside 
down,  the  foot  part  extending  northwardly,  and  the  leg  pointing 
to  the  south.  The  foot  part  thus  extends  some  350  miles,  from 
East  to  West,  along  the  parallel  of  31®  North  Latitude  and 
from  80°  to  88®  West  Longitude  from  Greenwich  ;  while  the 
part  that  would  represent  the  leg,  or  the  peninsular  proper, 
extends  Southwardly  from  31°  to  25®  North  Latitude,  thus 
reaching  over  some  400  miles. 

The  State  contains  59,268  square  miles,  or  37,931,520  acres. 

The  whole  territory  lies  within  the  region  denominated  as 
“  hot”  by  the  Physical  Geographers,  and  is  in  the  same  Latitude 
with  Northern  Mexico,  the  Desert  of  Sahara,  Central  Arabia, 
Northern  Hindostan,  the  Northern  portion  of  Burmah,  and  the 
southern  portion  of  China  ;  but  its  comparative  degree  of  heat  is 
not  accurately  indicated  by  its  latitude,  for  accurate  scientific  ob¬ 
servation  shows  it  to  be  isothermal  with  Southern  California, 
Louisiana,  the  Bermudas,  the  Island  of  Madeira,  Barbary, 
Egypt,  Northern  Arabia,  Persia,  Northern  Hindustan,  Thibet 
and  China.  Moreover,  the  results  that  might  be  expected  from 
its  geographical  location  are  materially  aflected  by  its  peninsular 
shape,  and  its  oceanic  surroundings.  The  main  portion  of  its 
surface  is  included  in  a  peninsular  projection  extending  south¬ 
wardly  between  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  Gulf  Stream,  which, 
in  its  exit,  traverses  its  Eastern  coast  for  about  300  miles. 

The  peninsula  averages  in  width  about  ninety  miles,  and  is 
fanned  by  the  Gulf  winds  on  one  side  and  the  Trade  winds  on 
the  other,  and  thus,  with  so  slight  a  breadth,  every  portion  is 
exposed  to  the  balmy  and  vivifying  influences  of  almost  constant 


* 


6 


oceanic  winds,  and,  from  all  these  geographical  peculiarities  has 
resulted  a  pleasantness  and  salubrity  of  climate,  and  a  power  of 
vegetative  production  so  wonderful  as  to  be  almost  incredible. 

The  surface  of  the  State  is,  as  a  whole,  remarkably  Idvel, 
though  this  is  more  characteristic  of  the  Eastern  and  Western 
portions  than  of  the  central  part.  From  the  Apalachicola  East¬ 
ward  to  the  Suwannee,  and  Westward  about  the  same  distance, 
the  surface  is  somewhat  rolling,  and  an  occasional  ridge  of  what 
are  called  hills  lends  a  sort  of  variety  to  the  somewhat  mono¬ 
tonous  succession  of  pine,  hummock  and  cypress  lands  stretching 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  over  an  almost  dead  level. 

Perhaps  the  most  marked  of  the  geographical  features  of  the 
State  is  to  be  found  in  the  enormous  extent  of  her  coast  line, 
which  on  the  Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  exceeds  eleven  hundred 
miles,  and  the  coast  line  is  also  remarkable  for  the  great  number 
of  large  bays  and  estuaries,  which  furnish  facilities  for  commer¬ 
cial  intercourse  that  in  the  near  future  will  hasten  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  resources  of  Western  and  South  Western  Florida  be¬ 
yond  the  expectations  of  the  most  sanguine. 

Another  marked  geographical  feature  of  the  State  is  found  in 
the  number  of  large  and  navigable  streams.  The  Apalachicola, 
the  Suwannee,  the  St.  Mary’s  and  the  St.  Johns  would  be 
noticeable  rivers  anywhere,  and  the  St.  Johns  is  one  of  the  most 
surprising  rivers  on  the  globe.  When  it  is  considered  that  not 
an  eminence  in  East  Florida  attains  the  height  of  200  feet,  the 
St.  Johns,  fed  in  great  degree  by  the  oozing  waters  of  the  Ever¬ 
glades,  and  winding  through  a  very  level  region,  will  strike  any 
stranger  with  astonishment  as  he  ascends  it  and  finds  its  average 
breadth  for  150  miles  to  be  more  rather  than  less  than  two  miles. 
The  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  are  quite  perceptible  at  the  upper 
end  of  Lake  George,  more  than  150  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Johns. 

Although  the  general  character  of  the  soil  of  Florida  is  sandy, 
still  few  portions  of  the  whole  United  States  are  more  bounti¬ 
fully  provided  with  water,  and  that  easily  accessible.  Springs  of 
all  kinds,  some  of  clear  sweet  water,  some  strongly  impregnated 
with  sulphur,  and  others  characterized  by  various  mineral  admix¬ 
tures,  are  so  abundant  as  to  be  little  noticed.  Some  cf  these 
springs  are  of  gigantic  proportions,  so  large  that  complete  rivers 
rush  at  once  from  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  to  those  who 
have  never  seen  them,  or  those  similar  to  them,  a  plain  and 
simple  description  of  these  becomes  almost  incredible. 

Two  of  the  most  famous  of  these  springs  are  thus  described 
in  Williams’  History  of  Florida.  “The  Wakulla  Eiver  rises 
about  ten  miles  N.  W.  of  St.  Marks,  from  one  of  the  finest 
springs  in  Florida,  or  perhaps  in  the  world.  It  is  of  an  oval 
form,  the  largest  diameter  of  which  is  about  six  rods.  It  is  of 


ED  unknown  depth  and  perfectly  transparent.  In  looking  into  it, 
the  color  resembles  a  clear  blue  sky,  except  near  the  border, 
where  it  has  a  slight  tinge  of  green  from  the  reflection  of  the 
surrounding  verdure,  which  hangs  over  it  in  drooping  branches 
and  waving  festoons.  The  Eastern  side  presents  a  rugged,  rocky 
precipice  ;  all  else  is  an  abyss  of  boundless  depth.  Squadrons  of 
fishes  are  seen  careering  around  “  their  own  w^orld”  in  perfect 
security.  The  water  is  moderately  cold,  and  highly  impregnated 
with  lime. 

The  beauty  of  the  fountain,  the  luxuriance  of  the  foliage 
around  it,  and  the  calm  retirement  of  the  whole  scene,  render 
this  one  of  the  most  charming  spots  that  West  Florida  afibrds.” 

“  The  big  spring  of  Chipola,  oflers  a  very  diflerent  scene.  Here 
also  a  river  bursts  from  the  earth,  with  a  giant  force,  from  large 
masses  of  rugged  rocks,  with  furious  rapidity,  as  though  impa¬ 
tient  of  restraint.  The  orifice  opens  to  the  South-west,  from  a 
high  swelling  bank,  scattered  over  with  large  oak  trees.  East 
and  West  the  orifice  may  be  thirty  feet,  by  eight  feet  wide.  A 
large  rock  divides  the  mouth  almost  into  two  parts,  at  a  consi¬ 
derable  depth  below  the  surface.  The  water  acts  as  a  prism  ; 
all  objects  seen  through  it  on  a  sun-shiny  day,  reflect  all  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow.  This  spring  at  once  forms  a  river,  six 
rods  wide,  and  eight  feet  deep,  which  joins  the  Chipola  river 
at  about  ten  miles  distance.” 

Such  is  the  description  of  the  sober  historian.  Silver  Spring, 
in  Marion  County,  is  another  of  these  remarkable  springs,  large 
enough  to  admit  to  its  very  source  the  steamers  that  navigate 
the  Ocklawaha  River. 

And  in  any  part  of  the  State,  from  the  sands  of  the  sea  beach 
to  the  clay  soils  of  the  central  portion,  good  water  can  easily 
be  reached  in  wells  of  from  10  to  20  feet  in  depth. 

A  mere  glance  at  the  map  will  show  almost  innumerable 
lakes,  ponds,  rivers  and  creeks,  very  uniformly  scattered 
throughout  the  whole  surface  of  the  State. 


SOCIETY. 

In  considering  the  condition  of  society  in  Florida,  and  in  the 
formation  and  appreciation  of  conclusions  reached,  it  is  first 
and  always  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  Florida,  although  in  fact 
the  oldest  settled  State  in  the  Union,  is,  with  perhaps  the 
single  exception  of  Oregon,  probably  the  most  sparsely  settled, 
exhibiting  in  1860  a  population  of  only  2.31  to  the  square  mile. 

Again  in  comparing,  as  is  natural,  this  State  with  any  of  the 


8 


Northern  States,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  she  started  and 
has  progressed  under  very  different  circumstances  from  those 
attending  the  growth  and  progress  of  any  other  State,  either 
North  or  South,  and  has  had  far  more  than  her  proportion  of 
obstacles  and  obstructions  to  contend  with,  both  politically 
and  socially. 

In  other  States,  whatever  government  has  been  originally 
adopted,  the  same  has  thereafter  remained  in  force,  except  as 
affected  by  the  rebellion,  with  very  little  alteration  ;  and  thus 
in  those  States,  age  and  stability  have  added  force  to  all  the 
elements  of  growth,  strength  and  prosperity,  and  have  tended 
graduall}’-  and  naturally  to  overcome  the  influences  adverse  to 
the  development  of  each.  But  from  the  earliest  period  in  her 
history,  Florida  has  had  no  stable  and  permanent  growth,  but 
has  been  tossed  about  from  nation  to  nation  like  a  veritable 
political  shuttlecock,  with  no  opportunity  to  grow  in  strength, 
and  actually  weakened  by  successive  changes. 

In  other  States,  whatever  may  have  been  the  circumstances 
of  their  original  settlement,  and  however  diverse  may  have 
been  the  character  and  derivation  of  the  different  elements  of 
their  population,  the  equality  of  right  before  the  law,  the  com¬ 
mon  enjoyment  of  the  same  opportunities  and  privileges,  and 
the  common  participation  in  administering  democratic  govern¬ 
ments  have  all  uniformly  and  powerfully  tended  by  gradual 
but  rapid  assimilation  towards  a  liomegeneity  of  population. 
But  all  such  tendencies  in  Florida  have  been  effectually  check¬ 
ed  by  her  frequent  and  successive  changes  of  nationality. 
There  has  not  been,  and  there  could  not  well  have  been,  that 
intimate  commingling  of  races  which  prevails  elsewhere,  and 
is  indispensable  to  political  and  social  progress. 

Florida,  though  in  fact  an  old  State,  has  all  the  character¬ 
istics  of  an  entirely  new  settled  State.  Its  circumstances  and 
its  political  uncertainties  have  not  only  not  attracted  immigra¬ 
tion,  but  have  really  from  time  to  time  driven  from  her  valuable 
elements  of  population.  The  better  portion  of  the  Spanish 
population  departed  when  the  English  took  possession,  and 
when,  in  turn,  the  territory  was  re-ceded  to  Spain,  the  English 
settlers  who  had  just  began  to  receive  rich  rewards  for  their 
agricultural  investments,  and  by  whose  skill  a  brilliant 
future  had  began  to  appear,  took  their  departure,  some  volun¬ 
tarily  and  some  under  government  compulsion  ;  and  so  again 
and  again,  the  progress  made  by  each  nationality  was  abso¬ 
lutely  lost  in  the  occupation  of  its  successor. 

Thus  the  State  is  still  a  wild  and  new  State.  The' rank, 
growth  of  the  forest  trees  over-shadowed  and  concealed  the 
vestige  of  successive  occupations,  and  the  traveller  is  often 
astonished  to  find  in  the  middle  of  dense  forests  the  ruins  of 


0 


mills,  and  houses,  and  the  remains  of  ditches  and  canals  on  a 
grand  scale,  silent  but  significant  mementos  of  a  recent  though 
an  almost  forgotten  past. 

The  scanty  population  of  less  than  200,000  is  scattered  over 
an  immense  territory  of  nearly  60,000  square  miles,  and  has 
been  engaged  almost  entirely  in  agriculture  ;  and  the  main  and 
hitherto  all  absorbing  object  of  that  pursuit  has  been  the  rais¬ 
ing  of  cotton.  The  pre-eminence  given  this  crop,  and  the 
prevalence  of  slave  labor  have  conspired  to  stimulate  the 
universal  Southern  passion  for  the  acquisition  of  land,  and 
thus  have  all  combined  to  crowd  out  all  diversity  of  occupa¬ 
tions  not  directly  concerned  in  and  tributary  to  the  raising  of 
cotton.  There  has  been  no  tendency  to  settle  in  villages  and 
communities,  but  the  general  tendency  has  been  towards  a 
dissipation  rather  than  concentration  ot  population.  Whether 
or  not  cotton  has  been  ^‘king”  it  has  certainly  been  a  social 
tyrant,  and  decreeing  its  votaries  to  the  vast  solitudes  of 
remote  plantations,  has  prevented  the  formation  of  those  small 
villages  as  centres  of  population,  where,  as  in  the  Northern 
States,  the  Church,  the  School,  the  Press  and  Post  Office  are 
recognized  as  the  essential  instruments  and  means  of  social 
progress, — necessities  of  social  existence,  that  must  be  had 
rather  than  as  conveniences  or  luxuries. 

Accordingly  disappointment  will  surely  meet  those  who, 
coming  from  other  sections,  and  particularly  from  the  North, 
anticipate  the  enjoyment  here  now  of  the  same  social  advan¬ 
tages  to  which  they  have  been  accustomed  at  home.  All  such 
means  of  social  culture  and  improvement  are  easily  possible 
here  as  elsewhere,  but  here  as  elsewhere  they  must  follow, — 
they  cannot  precede, — an  absolute  and  entire  change  in  the 
methods  of  agriculture,  and  an  increase  in  the  diversity  of 
occupations.  It  is  hard  to  change  the  habits,  whether  social  or 
agricultural,  of  communities,  and  as  hard  to  implant  new  social 
wants  except  by  the  introduction  of  agencies  of  a  new  and 
different  character  Hence  we  need  strong  immigration  of 
new  men  with  new  views  and  new  desires  first,  and  then  the 
means  of  gratifying  the  social  needs  of  a  progressive  society 
will  follow. 

Schools  and  Churches  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  towns  and 
villages  throughout  the  State,  but  there  has  hitherto  been  no 
public  school  system  in  the  Southern  States,  as  such  systems 
are  known  in  the  North  and  West.  In  all  of  these  the  popula¬ 
tion  has  arranged  itself,  and  naturally  enough,  under  the 
aristocratic  tendencies  of  slavery,  into  the  three  divisions  of 
Planters,  Poor  Whites  and  Slaves — safety  forbade  the  educa¬ 
tion  of  the  slaves, — the  poor  whites  neither  desired  nor  could 
afford  the  expense  of  private  schools,  and  the  Planters,  having 

2 


10 


the  means,  preferred  private  to  public  schools.  And  of  course 
the  local  governments,  administered  in  the  interests  of  the 
wealthy  classes,  would  neither  establish  nor  enforce  any 
system  of  public  free  schools. 

But  the  ratification  by  the  people  of  the  new  constitution 
gives  assurance  of  the  thorough  reconstruction  of  the  State 
under  much  more  favorable  auspices  in  all  directions.  The 
establishment  and  provision  by  adequate  taxation  for  the  sup¬ 
port  of  a  sufficient  system  of  public  schools  is  a  leading  feature 
of  the  constitution,  and  can  easily  be  so  administered  as  to 
meet  all  the  present  and  future  educational  wants  of  the  State. 

When  the  inducements  of  various  kinds  which  Florida  holds 
out  to  immigration  shall  be  fully  known  in  other  sections  of 
the  country,  it  is  confidently  anticipated  that  a  tide  of  popula¬ 
tion  from  the  North  will  flow  in  that  will  enable  the  material 
resource  of  the  State  to  be  developed,  and  then  all  desirable 
social  advantages  and  opportunities  will  follow. 

The  spirit  of  the  people,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  good,  as  good  as 
under  the  circumstances  could  reasonably  be  expected  by 
thoughtful  and  observing  men.  In  estimating  properly  the 
present  social  condition  of  the  State,  special  reference 
must  be  had  to  the  radical  revolution  that  has  been  wrought 
in  all  matters,  social  and  political,  within  the  last  few  years. 
The  collapse  of  such  a  rebellion,  and  the  complete  dissipation 
of  the  dreams  indulged,  have,  of  necessity,  left  a  degree  of  sore¬ 
ness  and  disappointment  resulting  in  a  bitterness  of  feeling 
which  is  not  unnatural,  and  which  could  not  reasonably  be 
unexpected  by  any  sensible  man. 

And  one  of  the  results  has  been  a  sort  of  natural  settling  of 
the  population  into  three  classes,  the  native  whites  who  favor¬ 
ed  secession  ;  the  loyal  whites  wdth  the  Northerners,  and  the 
Freedman, — and  much  time  must  necessarily  elapse,  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances,  before  these  classes,  so  recently 
placed  in  such  diverse  and  antagonistic  relations  to  each  other, 
can  quietly  settle  down  together  to  stand  upon  the  same  plat¬ 
form  of  enjoyment,  of  identically  the  same  rights,  and  the  exer¬ 
cise  of  the  same  powers  and  privileges.  It  would  be  simply  pre¬ 
posterous  to  suppose  that  in  so  short  a  time  the  small  class  of 
privileged  slave  owners  forming  the  most  compact  and  abso¬ 
lute  social  and  political  oligarchy  known  to  history,  should 
with  perfect  equanimity  see  themselves,  by  the  legitimate  and 
logical  consequences  of  their  own  folly,  shorn  of  their  political 
power,  and  not  onl}^  reduced  to  the  common  level  of  simple 
democratic  citizenship,  but  constrained  to  feign  cheerfulness 
in  the  extension  of  all  the  rights  of  equal  suffrage  and  politi¬ 
cal  right  to  those  over  whom  they  had  within  a  few  years 
exercised  all  the  rights  of  the  most  absolute  owi^ership  and 


11 


complete  control,  and  in  addition  to  all  this,  to  regard  with 
instant  and  spontaneous  atlection  the  representatives  of  that 
loyalty  and  unionism  that  have  brought  these  wondrous 
changes  about. 

Having  reference,  then,  to  all  these  things,  it  may  be  said 
with  truth  that  the  existing  feeling  of  the  whole  people  of 
Florida  towards  immigrants  is  good, — as  good  as  could  with 
reason  be  anticipated. 

While  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  a  stranger  could  not  rea¬ 
sonably  hope  to  meet  with  as  much  cordiality  and  courtesy  in 
the  South,  as  in  those  more  fortunate  regions  that  have  never 
been  tossed  inihe  boiling  cauldron  of  secession,  or  been  curs¬ 
ed  with  the  pressure  of  the  iron  heel  cf  conquering  armies  in  a 
bitter  civil  war,  it  is  also  true  that  there  is  absolutely  nothing 
to  deter  an  immigrant  who  seeks  to  better  his  condition  from 
settling  in  Florida,  except  the  absence  of  that  courtesy  and 
kindness  which  he  would  receive  at  the  West ;  or  even  in  the 
South,  before  the  terrible  struggle  for  the  death  of  slavery  had 
perverted  the  minds  and  embittered  the  hearts  of  men. 

In  our  correspondence,  the  question  is  often  asked,  “  Is  it  safe 
for  a  Northern  man  to  come  to  Florida  ?  ”  The  answer  is,  that 
there  is  no  sort  of  danger  whatever. 

The  immigrant  of  good  character  and  habits  will  be  readily 
received  by  all.  Southern  men  and  women  are  not  super-human, 
and  cannot  be  expected  suddenly  to  absolve  themselves  from  the 
domination  of  those  trains  of  political  thought  and  those  preva¬ 
lent  social  notions  that  have  ruled  them  for  years,  or  to  sympa¬ 
thize  at  once  with  the  political  ideas  of  a  triumphant  Radicalisrn. 

But  the  whole  population  of  the  State  is  becoming  rapidly 
convinced  that  “  men,  money  and  labor,”  are  to  be  the  watch¬ 
words  of  success  in  the  future  of  Florida  ;  and  indeed  a  recent 
movement  has  been  made  in  concert,  and  associations  are  being 
formed  in  the  various  counties  to  co-operate  with  the  Bureau  of 
Emigration  about  to  be  established  under  the  new  Constitution, 
in  the  promotion  of  Immigration,  by  offering  all  practicable  in¬ 
ducements  within  their  power  ;  and,  at  a  recent  public  meeting 
in  Jacksonville,  in  which  were  representatives  from  all  parts  of 
the  State,  the  most  eminent  and  influential  men  in  the  State,  of 
all  parties,  united  in  expressing  a  determination  to  do  all  that 
could  be  done  to  promote  the  immigration  upon  which  the  future 
prosperity  of  the  State  must  mainly  depend. 

Indeed,  any  good  citizen,  that  proposes  to  pay  special  atten¬ 
tion  to  his  own  affairs,  will  be  welcomed  by  all,  and  this  without 
any  sacrifice  of  principle,  or  any  abridgement  of  his  rights  of  free 
thought  and  free  speech. 

Northern  men  and  women,  who  may  come  and  persist  in 
associating  e^Uclusively  with  each  other,  and  se(]uester  themselves 


12 


diligently  from  all  social  intercourse  with  old  residents,  will 
be  allowed  thus  to  indulge  their  social  predilections  without  let 
or  hindrance. 

But  those  who  come  with  a  disposition  by  individual  general 
effort  to  contribute  to  the  common  good,  and  assist  the  common 
progress,  and  who  will  by  social  and  kindly  intercourse  assist  in 
the  doing  away  of  unfounded  dislikes  and  unreasonable  preju¬ 
dices,  however  boldly,  and  openly,  and  frani^ly,  if  only  with  a 
right  purpose  they  may  vindicate  their  right  of  individual  inde¬ 
pendence  of  thought  and  action,  will  not  only  be  tolerated,  but 
respected  and  cherished. 

Still,  it  is  as  undoubtedly  true  of  Florida  as  it  was  of  Kansas, 
and  indeed  is  of  every  new  state,  that  a  want  of  the  means  and 
appliances  for  social  comfort  and  advancement  must, for  a  time,  be 
expected  by  new  comers,  and  the  best  way  in  which  immigrants 
may  avoid  the  consequent  inconveniences  and  deprivations,  is  by 
coming  in  groups  of  five  or  more  families,  and  thus  secure  from  the 
first  those  social  interchanges  which  are  of  the  first  importance 
everywhere. 

Another  and  a  commanding  recommendation  for  such  a  group¬ 
ing  of  immigrants  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  much  of  the 
most  valuable  land,  both  for  fertility  and  accessibility,  is  included 
in  large  tracts,  which  w’ere  originally  government  grants,  and 
whose  owners  are  disinclined  to  divide  and  sell  in  smaller  parcels. 

Such  large  tracts  are  often  valuable,  but  larger  than  single 
settlers  need  or  will  buy,  while  a  colony  of  men  who  desired  to 
settle  together  and  form  a  community  can  combine  their  means, 
and  thus  easily  secure  to  each  such  portion  as  he  desired,  at 
reasonable  rates. 

And  this  subdivision  of  large  plantations  is  the  indispensable 
first  step  to  be  taken  before  any  general  agricultural  prosperity 
can  be  hoped  for. 


CLIIATE. 

The  climate  of  Florida  is  one  of  its  chief  attractions.  Mild  in 
Winter,  and  not  excessively  hot  in  Summer,  the  temperature  is 
more  equable  than  that  of  any  other  State  of  the  Union.  The 
thermometer  rarely  falls  below  80  ,  or  rises  above  95  .  From 

the  records  contained  in  the  Spanish  archives  at  St.  Augustine, 
we  learn  that  the  mean  temperature  of  the  Winter  months  for 
lOO  years,  average  a  little  over  00  ^  ,  and  of  the  Summer 
months  86  ,  Farenheit.  Constant  mention  is  made  of  the  daily 

recurring  sea-breeze,  which  cooled  off  the  after  part  of  the  day, 
and  gave  a  delightful  atmosphere  for  nightly  rest.  Here  in 


13 


Florida  the  many  whose  constitutions  are  feeble,  or  impaired  by 
disease,  can  find  a  refuge  from  the  inclement  winters  of  the 
Northern  States. 

It  is  not  enough,  however,  for  those  who  think  of  making 
Florida  their  future  home,  to  know  that  her  winters  are  delight- 
lul.  They  want  the  facts  about  the  climate,  and  especialh^ 
about  its  healthfulness,  all  the  year  round. 

Hence,  no  question  can  be  more  important,  and  in  fact,  none 
is  more  frequently  asked,  than  the  question,  “  How  does  the 
climate  of  Florida  aftect  the  health  of  immigrants  ?  ”  The  most 
unaccountable  misapprehensions  are  very  widely  prevalent  in 
regard  to  this  topic,  so  that  the  received  idea  seems  to  be  that 
Florida  is  the  land  of  swamps,  and  her  atmosphere  surcharged 
with  the  most  noxious  and  miasmatic  vapors,  to  an  extent  that 
makes  the  very  hope  of  health  and  long  life  within  her  borders 
futile. 

Now,  in  fact,  if  the  sanitary  statistics  of  the  country,  and  the 
official  reports  of  sanitary  officials  are  entitled  to  the  credence 
customarily  conceded  to  them,  not  a  single  State  in  the  Union  can 
show  as  clean  a  bill  of  health  as  can  be  exhibited  by  Florida. 
And  this  is  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is  recollected  that  a 
very  large  proportion  of  the  transient  population  of  the  State  is 
made  up  of  invalids  from  other  sections,  who  have  come  to  Flor¬ 
ida  as  the  last  resort, — despairing  of  any  sanitary  improvement 
elsewhere. 

For  very  many  years  St.  Augustine  has  been  known  far  and 
wide,  as  one  of  the  most  healthy  locations  in  the  whole  country, 
or,  indeed,  in  the  world.  For  a  hundred  years  her  streets  have 
been  filled  with  invalids  from  all  parts  of  the  world ;  and  the 
climate  of  St.  Augustine  is  the  climate  of  East  Florida.  North¬ 
erners  have  long  resorted  to  Florida,  to  find  in  her  mild  and 
genial  climate  a  relief  from  the  piercing  winds  and  frigid  tem¬ 
perature  of  the  Northern  and  Middle  States  ;  while  the  cool  and 
wholesome  winds  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  have  operated 
to  bring  annual  crowds  from  Alabama,  Georgia  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  to  escape  the  blazing  sun  and  torrid  heats  of  those  States. 
Those  who,  from  frequent  visitation  and  repeated  experiment, 
are  best  informed,  all  unite  in  declaring  the  climate  of  Florida  to 
be  unequalled  in  the  world  for  comfort  and  health. 

That  many  die,  and  of  consumptive  complaints,  is  undoubtedly 
true  ;  but  of  most  of  them  it  may  be  said  that  the}"  were  doomed 
before  they  left  home  to  try  a  Southern  climate  as  their  last 
hope,  and  that  their  lives  have  often  been  prolonged  where  they 
had  long  been  beyond  all  hope  of  complete  restoration.  Many 
a  man,  now  in  Florida,  is  enjoying  a  fine  state  of  health,  who 
would  have  had,  anywhere  else,  but  slight  hope  even  of  life. 

Some  of  the  lands  in  various  portions  of  the  State  are  low,  and 


14 


at  the  same  time  are  exceedingly  rich;  and  there,  as  In  all  re¬ 
gions  where  a  rank  and  luxuriant  vegetable  growth  is  general, 
will  also  be  found  those  types  of  disease  which  elsewhere  uni¬ 
versally  characterize  such  regions.  But  all  such  diseases  assume 
a  much  milder  type  than  in  other  sections  where  they  are 
prevalent. 

That. there  is  much  swampy  land  in  the  State  is  true,  and  it  is 
also  true  that  the  dense  vegetable  growth  of  the  swamps  and 
lagoons,  and  low  hummocks  must,  of  course,  whenever  vegetable 
decomposition  occurs,  furnish  a  great  deal  of  the  food  that 
nourishes  Fevers  and  kindred  diseases ;  but  the  effects  of  these 
causes  are  measurably  counterbalanced  by  the  almost  constant 
breezes  that  fan  the  atmosphere,  and  purge  its  evil  humors,  and 
the  immense  preponderance  of  pine  forests,  open  to  the  breezes, 
and  perfuming  the  air  with  their  pleasant  and  wholesome  odor. 

In  a  series  of  letters  from  an  old  resident  of  Florida,  recently 
re-published  in  Ocala,  the  climate  and  healthfulness  of  Florida 
are  quite  fully  treated,  and  an  extract  from  the  pamphlet  is  here 
inserted,  as  more  authentic  and  more  satisfactory  than  any 
original  matter  which  we  can  furnish  : — 

“  The  climate  of  Florida  and  especially  that  of  the  Peninsular, 
taking  it  the  whole  year  around,  is  much  more  agreeable  than 
any  other  in  the  United  States ;  and  indeed  it  would  be  difficult 
to  find  a  climate  in  any  part  of  the  world  so  agreeable  as  this. 
The  winters  are  delightful,  five  days  out  of  six  being  bright  and 
cloudless,  and  of  the  most  agreeable  temperature.  In  the 
Southern  portion  of  the  Peninsular  frost  is  never  felt,  and  even 
far  North  as  the  Suwannee  River  there  are  generally  but  two  or 
three  nights  in  a  whole  winter  that  ice  as  thick  as  a  half  dollar  , 
is  found.  Carver,  in  discussing  the  winters  of  the  Peninsular, 
remarks  :  ‘  So  mild  are  the  winters  in  East  Florida  that  the  most 
delicate  vegetables  and  plants  of  the  Carrabee  Islands  experience 
there  not  the  least  injury  Irom  that  season  ;  the  orange  tree,  the 
bananna,  the  plantain,  the  guava,  the  pineapple,  &c.,  grow  lux¬ 
uriantly.  Fogs  are  scarcely  known  there,  and  no  country  can 
be  more  salubrious.’ 

“  The  winter  in  Florida  resembles  very  much  that  season 
which  in  the  Middle  States  is  termed  the  ‘  Indian  Summer,’  ex¬ 
cept  that  in  Florida  the  sky  is  perfectly  clear,  and  the  atmo¬ 
sphere  more  dry  and  elastic.  Rain  but  rarely  falls  during  the 
winter  months  in  Florida ;  three,  four,  and  not  unfrequently  five 
weeks,  of  bright,  clear,  and  cloudless  days  occur  continuously. 
This  is  one  of  the  greatest  charms  of  the  winter  climate  in  Flor¬ 
ida  ;  and  in  this  respect  it  forms  a  striking  contrast  with  almost 
every  State  in  the  Union,  and  especially  with  Texas,  California, 
and  Oregon. 

“  Contrary  to  what  might  be  expected,  the  summer  weather 


t 


15 


in  East  Florida  is  mucli  more  agreeable,  and  its  beat  less  op¬ 
pressive  (though  its  duration  is  much  louger)  than  that  which 
is  experienced  in  the  Northern  and  Middle  States.  This  is 
attributable  in  a  great  mfiasure,  to  its  peninsular  position,  which 
causes  it  to  be  fanned  on  the  East  by  the  Atlantic  breezes,  and 
on  the  West  by  those  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  both  of  which  can 
be  distinctly  felt  in  the  centre  of  the  State.  Besides  this,  the 
North-east  trade  winds  play  over  the  whole  Peninsula.  The 
summer  nights  are  invariably  cool,  and  even  the  hottest  days 
are  seldom  oppressive  in  the  shade.  This  is  more  than  any 
State  North  of  Florida  can  boast,  and  is  probably  owing  to  her 
peninsular  character.  Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  the  ther¬ 
mometer  ranges  nuich  liigher  during  the  summer  months  in 
New  York,  Boston  and  Montreal,  than  in  St.  Augustine,  Tampa 
or  Key  West.  In  the  former  cities  the  thermometer  frequent¬ 
ly  ranges  as  high  as  100  and  105  in  the  shade,  and  that  too, 
without  any  breeze  to  relieve  it,  whereas,  it  but  rarely  reaches 
as  high  as  90  at  any  of  the  latter  places.  I  am  credibly  in¬ 
formed  that  a  register  kept  at  Key  West  (the  extreme  South 
of  Florida)  for  fourteen  years,  exliibited  but  three  instances, 
during  the  whole  period,  in  which  the  mercury  rose  as  high  as 
94  in  the  shade.  Bur,  did  it  rise  even  to  104.  such  is  the  con¬ 
stant  prevalence  of  refreshing  sea-breezes,  that  less  inconve¬ 
nience  would  be  experienced  from  it  than  when  it  was  85  in 
the  humid  and  stagnant  atmospheres  of  other  climates. 

^‘General  Lawson,  Surgeon-General  of  the  Army,  in  his 
official  report  of  the  climate,  diseases,  Ac.,  of  Florida,  remarks  : 

‘  The  climate  of  Florida  is  remarkably  equable  and  agreeable, 
being  subject  to  fewer  atmospheric  variations,  and  its  ther¬ 
mometer  ranges  mucli  less  than  any  other  part  of  the  United 
States,  except  a  portion  of  the  coast  of  California.  For  ex¬ 
ample,  the  Winter  at  Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota  Territory,  is  48 
degrees  colder  than  at  Fort  Brooke,  Florida  ;  but  the  Summer 
at  Fort  Brooke  is  only  about  8  degrees  warmer.  The  mean 
annual  temperature  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  is  nearly  8  degrees, 
and  that  at  Fort  Gibson,  Arkansas,  upwards  of  10  degrees 
lower  than  at  Tampa  ;  yet  in  both  these  places  the  mean  Sum¬ 
mer  temperature  is  higher  than  at  Fort  Brooke,  Tampa  Bay. 
In  the  Summer  season  tlie  mercury  rises  higher  in  every  part 
of  the  United  States,  and  even  in  Canada,  than  it  does  along 
the  coast  of  Florida.  This  is  shown  by  meterological  statis¬ 
tics  in  this  Bureau. 

“The  Summer  in  Florida  may  be  said  to  be  seven  months 
long  ;  so  that  the  duration  of  warm  weather  is  nearly  twice  as 
long  as  in  the  Middle  States.  The  weather  during  the  whole 
of  these  seven  months  is,  however,  generally  of  a  very  pleas¬ 
ant  temperature,  the  night  being  uniform  cool,  and  sultry  days 


16 


of  very  rare  occurrence.  Indeed,  so  agreeable  are  the  sum¬ 
mers  in  East  Florida,  there  is  little  choice  between  them  and 
the  wirters  ;  and  many  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  say  that  they 
prefer  the  former. 

“  The  seasons  in  Florida  are  probably  as  favorable  as  in  any 
other  State  in  the  Union,  There  occurs  there,  as  in  every 
other  State,  occasional  droughts  of  too  long  duration,  and 
there  is  sometimes  a  superabundance  of  rain  ;  but,  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  rule,  the  seasons  are  regular  and  well  adapted  to  all  the 
valuable  staples  of  that  country.  Frequent  showers  occur 
during  the  months  of  March,  April,  May  and  June,  and  about 
the  first  of  July  what  is  termed  ‘  the  rain}'-  season  ’  commences 
and  continues  till  about  the  middle  of  September.  Although 
it  rains  about  every  day  during  this  season,  it  scarcely  rains 
all  day.  These  rains  fall  in  very  heavy  showers,  accompanied 
by  thunder  and  lightning,  and  seldom  last  longer  than  four 
hours  each  day.  They  generally  commence  at  1  o’clock,  P.M., 
and  are  entirely  over  by  5  o’clock,  F.M.,  leaving  for  the  re¬ 
maining  twenty  hours  of  the  day  a  cloudless  sky  and  a  de¬ 
lightfully  cool  atmosphere.*  One  of  the  great  virtues  of  the 
Florida  climate  is,  that  nearly  all  the  rain  falls  during  the 
productive  season  of  the  3"ear  ;  and  that  during  the  winter 
months,  when  rains  are  but  little  required,  they  seldom  fall. 
The  reverse  of  this  occurs  in  Texas,  California,  Oregon,  and 
in  nearly  all  the  Mexican  States. 

“  As  respects  health,  the  climate  of  Florida  stands  pre-emi¬ 
nent.  That  the  peninsular  climate  of  Florida  is  much  more 
salubrious  than  that  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  is  clearly 
established  by  the  medical  statistics  of  the  army,  as  well  as 
by  the  last  census  returns.  In  proof  of  this  the  most  conclu¬ 
sive  evidence  can  be  presented  ;  but  it  will  be  suliicient  here 
to  quote  a  few  remarks  from  the  official  Report  of  the  Surgeon- 
General  on  this  subject.  General  Lawson  states  :  ‘  Indeed, 
the  statistics  in  this  Bureau  demonstrate  the  fact  that  the 
diseases  which  result  from  malaria  are  of  a  much  milder  type 
in  the  Peninsula  of  Florida  than  in  any  other  state  in  the 
Union.  These  records  show  that  the  ratio  of  deaths  to  the  num¬ 
ber  of  cases  of  remittent  fever  has  been  much  less  among  the 
troops  serving  in  any  other  portion  of  the  Lmited  States.  In 
the  Middle  Division  of  the  United  States  the  proportion  is  one 
death  to  thirty-six  cases  of  remittent  fever  ;  has  in  the  North¬ 
ern  Division,  one  to  fifty-two  ;  in  the  Southern  Division,  one  to 
fifty-four  ;  in  Texas,  one  to  seventy-eight ;  in  California,  one 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  ;  in  New  Mexico,  one  to  one 

*The  average  here  is  too  high.  We  are  assured  that  they  do  not  average  more 
than  one  hour  per  day.— Ed.  Ba>'NEr. 


17 


hundred  and  forty-eight ;  while  in  Florida  it  is  but  one  io  iwo 
hundred  and  eighty-seven. 

“‘The  general  healthfulness  of  many  parts  of  Florida, 
particularly  on  its  coast,  is  proverbial.  The  average  annual 
mortality  of  the  whole  Peninsula,  from  returns  in  this  office, 
is  found  to  be  2.06  per  cent.,  while  the  other  portions  of  the 
United  States  (previous  to  the  war  with  Mexico)  it  is  3.05  per 
cent.^ 

“In  short,  it  may  be  asserted,  without  fear  of  refuta* 
tion,  that  Florida  possesses  a  much  more  agreeable  and  salu¬ 
brious  climate  than  any  other  State  or  Territory  in  the 
Union.” 

This  proposition  seems  to  be  vindicated  beyond  a  possible 
doubt  by  the  statistics  of  the  U.  S.  census  of  1860,  and  this  in 
reference  to  a  special  class  of  diseases  in  regard  to  which 
Florida  stands  in  an  unfavorable  light  because  the  very  large 
elements  of  her  population  composed  of  invalids  are  in  the 
main  those  who  come  here  seeking  relief  from  pulmonary 
complaints.  Yet  from  the  census  of  1860  we  gather  that 
the  proportion  of  those  who  died  from  consumption  in  various 
of  the  States  in  the  Union,  during  the  year  ending  May  31, 
1860,  was  as  follows  : 

In  Massachusetts,  1  in  254  ;  in  Maine,  1  in  289  ;  in  Ver¬ 
mont,  1  in  404  ;  in  New  York,  1  in  4T3  ;  in  Uennsjdvania,  1 
in  580  ;  in  Ohio,  1  in  6T9  ;  in  California,  1  in  721  ;  in  Vir¬ 
ginia,  1  in  757  ;  in  Indiana,  1  in  792  ;  in  Illinois,  1  in  878,  and 
in  Florida,  1  in  1,447. 

Solon  Robinson  says,  “As  to  the  salubrity  of  tlic  climate,  1 
fully  believe  its  average  equal  to  Indiana  or  Illinois,  and  cer¬ 
tainly  no  worse  for  immigrants,  from  au}^  of  the  Northerii 
States,  than  Central  New  York  was  in  its  early  settlement, 
for  those  who  went  into  its  forests  from  New  England.  There 
are  here,  as  there,  miasmatic  localities,  and  localities  where 
mosquitoes  are  as  pestiferous  as  they  are  in  the  Montezuma 
marshes — no  worse,  and  certainly  no  worse  than  I  have  often 
found  them  at  various  points  around  New  York.” 

We  have  compiled  the  following  tables,  mainly  from  a 
record  of  Meteorological  Observations  kept  by  Dr.  A.  S. 
Baldwin,  through  whose  kindness  we  are  enabled  to  give  them 
to  the  public.  Jacksonville  is  situated  in  Latitude  30  15' 

North,  Longitude  82  ^  West.  Place  of  Observation,  14  feet 
above  mean  low  water.  The  mean  of  three  daily  observations 
is  given.  The  highest  and  lowest  ranges  of  the  Thermom- 


O 

O 


18 


eter  each  month,  for  five  years,  from  1857  to  1861  inclusive, 
are  shown  below  : — 


Months 

1857 

1858 

1859 

1860 

1861 

Remarks, 

H. 

L. 

H. 

L. 

H. 

L. 

H. 

L. 

H.  L. 

January 

72 

16 

76 

38 

76 

30 

76 

40 

Ice  one  to  two  inches 

February 

81 

44 

77 

39 

79 

39 

79 

44 

75 

42 

March 

85 

41 

83 

34 

84 

45 

83 

40 

83 

43 

thick,  Jan.  19  and  20, 

April 

81 

47 

86 

49 

89 

53 

92 

58 

85 

54 

May 

91 

61 

91 

66 

92 

64 

92 

58 

94 

64 

1857. 

June 

91 

73 

92 

73 

94 

70 

97 

69 

98 

73 

July 

89 

68 

96 

74 

95 

70 

98 

74 

92 

70 

August 

95 

75 

94 

75 

91 

75 

93 

73 

91 

73 

At  7  A.M.,  Nov.  25, 

September 

92 

64 

86 

64 

92 

70 

89 

65 

92 

59 

October 

81 

42 

85 

62 

84 

50 

87 

53 

86 

57 

1860,  the  Thermornc- 

November 

82 

27 

79 

39 

79 

35 

80 

25 

79 

45 

December 

80 

39 

78 

40 

79 

36 

72 

32 

74 

38 

ter  stood  at  25  ® 

Earliest  frost  in  the  five  years,  October  27,  1857.  Latest 
frost,  April  28,  1858.  Latest  frost  in  1859,  February  14th. 


10 


Summary  of  twenty  years’  observations  of  the  Thermometer, 
taken  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  by  Dr.  A.  S.  Baldwin,  showing  the 
mean  temperature  of  each  month  and  year  reported,  also  the 
means  of  twenty  years,  for  each  month  and  the  whole  year. 


!  a 

o 

D1 

CM 

to 

f-H 

CD 

CO 

(M  O  QO  Jt-  GO 

05 

O 

f— 

■ 

M  1 

!  ^ 

o 

o 

CO 

CO 

CM 

05 

CD 

tO 

05 

CO 

CD 

CD 

QO 

CD 

to 

2 

o  oo 

05 

o 

05* 

05  O 

O 

C5 

05 

05 

05  QO 

Jr-  05  05 

O 

05 

I  ^ 

1 

Jr- 

CD 

CD 

Jr- 

CO 

CD  J— 

t— 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

J— 

CD 

1 

O 

O 

<M  Jr- 

CO 

r-l 

O 

O 

tO  Jr— 

CD 

O 

CO 

CD  Ir- 

CO 

QO 

1  o 

o  o 

05 

CM 

CO 

o 

o 

Jr-  O 

to 

o 

O 

CO 

CD 

o 

f-H 

j  ^ 

Ci 

CO 

05  QO 

CO 

o 

05 

05 

o 

CO 

CM 

05 

QO 

<M  J- 

05 

o' 

i 

IM 

lO 

uo 

lO 

05 

lO 

to 

to 

CD 

tO  tO 

tO 

to 

to 

CD 

lO 

to 

to 

CD 

_ 

! 

o 

CO 

D1  Jr- 

05  Jr— 

o 

O  QO  J- 

CD  O 

CM 

CD 

o 

CO 

J— 

!  > 

CM 

Jr- 

CO 

tO 

to 

o 

O 

CM  CM 

CM  <M 

CD 

Jr-  CM 

o 

CM 

to 

1  ® 

lO 

05 

o 

to 

CM 

CO 

CO 

O  QO 

CM 

i 

Jr- 

(M 

CD 

J— 

(M 

lO 

CD 

CD 

to 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

to 

CD 

CD 

CD 

to 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

1 

CO  Jr-  CO 

CO 

"Tti 

to 

CM  OO 

CO 

CM 

05 

Jr- 

QO 

fH 

CD 

CD 

CM 

QO 

!  •*-» 

CO  QO 

CM 

O 

CD 

CM 

CM 

OO 

CO 

CM 

J—  O  QO 

05 

fH 

COi 

CO 

CO 

O 

1— < 

05 

O  CO  o 

O 

05 

cd 

05 

CD  QO 

CD 

OJ 

o 

O 

CO 

05* 

o' 

Jr- 

CD  J^  J—  J— 

J—  CD 

J— 

J— 

CD  J— 

CD 

CD 

CD  1— 

Jr— 

J— 

J— 

J— 

J— 

I  . 

CO 

<M 

o 

uO 

CO  QO  QO 

CM 

to 

CM 

OO 

to 

O 

CO 

05 

fH 

GO 

tO 

<M  1 

!  u* 

CO 

CO  O  QO 

CO 

CM 

CD 

o 

to 

O  J- 

CM 

CO 

O  Jr- 

f»H 

00 

i  0) 

J— 

OO 

o 

CO 

00  CO 

O 

CD  QO  J- 

05 

CD 

C?5 

to 

O 

05 

05 

o 

QO'  ! 

;  J1 

X— 

Jr-  GO 

Jt—  Jr-  Jr-  CX) 

J— 

J— 

Jr-  QO 

Ir— 

Jr- 

Jr- 

J— 

QO 

Jr- 

Jr— 

QO 

1 

: 

uo 

o 

O 

1— ( 

05 

CM  t- 

CO 

QO 

CM 

1— 

CM 

J— 

OO 

CO 

00  i 

CM 

o 

O 

CM 

CD 

to 

CD  CO 

‘O 

t— 

05 

<M 

CM 

o 

C5 

;  W 

\  ^ 

CM 

o 

CM 

rH 

CM 

CM 

O  CM 

CO 

CM 

(M 

O 

05 

F-^ 

O 

cd 

F^ 

n 

(X)O00OQOQOQOC»O0C»O0O0(X) 

00 

00 

CO 

J— 

GO 

QO 

GO 

QO 

lO 

O 

o 

lO 

CO 

tO 

OO 

05 

CM 

05 

o 

CO 

QO 

CO 

QO 

cd 

1.^ 

CO 

DJ 

o 

05 

CO 

CM 

GO 

QO 

rH 

Jr- 

CO 

QO 

(M  J- 

CM 

tO 

O 

C5 

!  ^ 

CM 

o 

05  O 

O  CM 

CM 

f-4 

CO 

r-i 

CM 

05 

<M 

o 

O 

CD 

F^ 

OO 

00 

QO  Jr- 

GO 

QO 

OO 

GO 

oo 

QO 

OO 

GO 

CO 

Jr— 

GO 

GO 

QO 

QO 

GO 

00 

' 

o 

o 

o 

CO  J^ 

CM 

GO 

05 

J— 

tO 

oo 

<X» 

CO 

o 

CD 

to  tO 

O 

C5 

'  a 

o 

o 

o 

CO 

CM 

CM 

CO 

OO 

tO 

CO 

GO 

o 

CD 

CM 

o  o 

CD 

CO 

CM 

CM 

Oi 

w-i 

05 

QO 

O 

00 

od 

o' 

QO  1-t 

o 

05 

O 

CO 

fH 

fH 

O 

QJ 

00 

QO 

l~- 

00 

QO 

J— 

J^ 

QO 

r— 

J— 

QO 

t— 

QO 

QO 

t— 

QO 

oo 

QO 

oo 

QO 

oo 

o 

O 

o 

05 

CM 

CM 

CO 

CO 

o; 

CM 

05 

r-H 

CO 

CM 

Jr— 

QO 

CD 

05  1 

o 

O  O 

o 

CO 

C»  J-  (M 

CM 

CO 

1— • 

Jr- 

CO 

CD 

J— 

CO 

o 

tO  i 

J— 

QO 

liO  Jr-  iO 

CD 

CD 

od 

Jr— 

CO 

CD 

(M 

CD 

»o 

CD 

GO 

QO 

CD 

QO 

Jr- 

Jr— 

J— 

h- 

J— 

J— 

1> 

1— 

t— 

t— 

J— 

J'- 

J^ 

t— 

t— 

Jr- 

J— 

J— 

i  ^ 

O 

O 

O 

Jr- 

t— 

CM 

CM 

to 

QO 

GO 

o 

O 

O 

*o 

to 

O 

(M 

Oi 

f-( 

!  ^ 

o 

o 

O  JC- 

t— 

rH 

CD 

1— 1 

CO  Jr-  CD 

CM 

(M 

o 

CD 

Of 

;  Ch 

o 

00 

0:5 

CM 

o 

05 

o 

05 

F^ 

to 

O 

J— 

CO 

o 

fH 

CO 

o' 

J^ 

CD 

CD 

t:— 

Jr— 

CD  J— 

Jr— 

CD  J— 

•D> 

t— 

CD 

CD 

Jr- 

Jt— 

J— 

CD 

J— 

Jr- 

:  . 

CM 

CM 

05 

uo 

05 

CM 

CO 

CD 

F^ 

fH 

o 

tO 

CD 

CM 

CM 

J— 

CD 

O 

00 

S-4 

(M 

GO 

Jr- 

to 

o 

CO 

CD 

O 

CM 

to 

CD 

CM 

tO  Jr- 

QO 

QO  i 

'2 

co’ 

uO  J^  O 

CO 

to 

QO  O 

— 

05 

CD 

CO 

CO 

CM  tO 

cd  , 

CD 

CD 

CD 

O 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

o 

>o 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

O 

CD 

CD  1 

O 

O 

o 

iO 

CD 

05 

QO 

J— 

J— 

CM 

CO 

05 

CO 

CD 

CM 

CO  1 

o 

O 

o 

05 

QO 

J— 

CO 

Jr— 

to 

CO 

QO 

CO 

CO 

CO 

CM 

^  I 

tth 

1— 

QO 

CO 

CD 

CO 

CO 

F^ 

J—  CD 

CM 

Jr— 

00 

fH 

O 

O 

cd 

00 

>o 

lO 

uO 

UO 

to 

to 

to 

CD 

CD 

to 

CD 

to 

to 

CD 

tO 

to 

CD 

CD 

to 

CD 

1  . 

Ci 

03 

CD 

CO 

to 

CO 

CD  J— 

,—1 

CM 

— 

tO 

o 

CM 

CD 

J— 

o 

CM  < 

!  a 

00 

03 

OO 

O  Jr-  O 

CO  CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CM 

OO 

00 

o 

O  . 

'ftJ 

Jr-^ 

g:5 

QO 

J— 

J^ 

CM  Jr- 

to 

Jr—  QO 

05 

CM 

CD 

oi 

td 

»o 

iC3  O 

»0  uO 

to 

CD 

tO 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

QQ 

.  ;h 

O 

CD 

Jr- 

GO 

05 

O 

F— ^ 

CM 

CO 

to 

CD 

J— 

GO 

05 

o 

CD 

J— 

• 

a 

i 

to  to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

tO  tO 

to 

CD 

CD 

CD 

CD 

sS 

!  ® 

GO 

00 

QO 

QO 

QO 

CO 

QO 

00 

GO 

QO 

00 

oo 

00 

00 

QO 

GO 

CO 

00 

GO 

OO 

> 

r-l 

fH 

F-i 

F*^ 

r-H 

fH 

fH 

F-^ 

F^ 

fH 

20 


Tc 

o 

<•  J 


•br.| 

2 

i  - 

c* 


=  w 


c 


- 

cS 

~  C 

-  o 
o 


CO 

.2 

’-2 

:s 

> 

Zj 

7} 

j:^ 

O 


o 


rO 

Cj 


O 

a 


c:  03 

Zs 

.E  ^ 


o 

-M 

c 


S' 

■-» 

O 


P 

2  p 


•3  ^ 

p  ■! 


p 


03 
p 

^  ^ 
P  o  cc 


o 

03 

-M 

;-i 

rt 

a 


p 


p 

^  • 
cc  ^ 

bJD 

s 


*  • 

*>l  li^ 

^  fee 

G 

'  c  ::r 


.  S  CP 

-tJ 

00 
CJ 


QQ  -U 

ei  ^ 


.  5-1 

i 

!  O 
'>H 

— ^  eq  !— <  CO 

O  p5  ‘O  !>•  iO 

•  •  •  •  • 

O  1— t  O  O 

O  r-—  (-.«  lQ 

i  d 
'  z> 

CP  Cl  CO  (OJ  Cl  ' 
CN  Cl  O  Cl  oo 

.  .  .  •  •  i 

1:-*  r—>  <—t  l-H  CP 
iC  CO  30  ^ 

> 

:  o 
:;2; 

CM'^fOCOI- 
i-H  CG  CP  Cl  CP  1 

o  ci  I— 5  1 

O  CO  CO  !  1 

Oct. 

QO  Cl  r— 1  -rTl  o  1 
00  O  1— i  O  i-H 

*-H  QO  cd 

Ir—  Jt—  lO 

G 

G. 

5J 

02 

O  QC  d  -— 1  CP 

CP  CJ  Cl  CO  GO 

00*  to’  i—i  -rji  GO* 
t—  Jr-  OO  CP  uO 

be 

a 

<J 

CP  CO  O  CO  o 

uo  'Tf  Cl  oo  o 
o'  o’  ci  .-H  o 

QO  QO  GO  !>.  b- 

O  Cl  O  lO  O 

Cl  Jr-  O  l-N- 

o’  o’  cd  CO  cd 

GO  OO  QO  b- 

0 

a 

p 

'“5 

CP  O  CO  I— 1  CP 

CO  CP 

ci  ci  ^  00  GO 

1—  b-  GO  CP  CP 

May 

O'^t^OCJJ'- 
UO  CP  l-H  00  Cl 

cd  CP  ci  ci  GO 

J^  t—  Jr-  uO  tO 

April 

OO  CJ  00  o 

OO  CO  CO 

oo’  l-H  td  GO  CP 

CP  Jr—  t—  Hti  -*^1 

j  Mar.| 

CJ  00  CO 

CO  Jtr-  00  CP 

CO 

CO  O  r-*  CO  CO 

J2 

0 

1 

■^'■tt^ooot- 
C1  UO  oo  QO  up 

ci  cd  od  00  b^ 

lO  CP  CP  CJ  I-H 

Jan. 

CO  CO  oo  00  CD 

O  O  O  CJ 

Jr-^  1—4  CP  od  cd 

O  CP  CP  CJ  — ^ 

P 

^C 

'•+S 

03 


03  rt  P 

>  c  == 


-(-3 

rt 


G  ?3  .G 


bD 

< 

CTJ 

-t-i 

rt 

CO 

ci 

o 

t>3 


P 
P  G 

G 

O  ^ 

I 

>3 


rt  o 

S  ^ 

rt  re 
G  cq 


CO 


O 

G 

ci 

P 

G 


rt 

P 

PS 

C 


IS  2  c 

,  H— » 

o  s  SS 

««j  p 
03  ’—< 

P 

S>  p 

rG 


>3 


G 

P 

tJ 


<: 


o  -^J 
v>  P 

i-H 

ci  'G 

03  ►-[i. 


ca: 

-M 

P 

o 


PI  c3 

p  . 

>3  .  Cl 

be  ‘C 

.s  .2 


>3  C:; 


p 
p 

-+J  o 

s  ^ 

o  2 


p 


s-< 

O  O 


G 

O 


^  P 
P  pz 
-G  ^ 
-t-*  P 
rv 


CO 

o 

"m 

P 

2 

P 


O 

G5 

P 

P 

I-’ 

H 


p 

05 

;-( 

P 

P 

;>3 

p 


p  ^ 

-1-3 

03  5-1 

5-1  •:p 

P  -s 
p  ^ 

^  o 

p  _ 
>  -G) 

G3  2 


G 

P 


G 
•  ^ 

O 


G 

O 


P 

t> 


P 


oo 

p 


c 

G 

5-3 

o 

I— 

H 

p 

Ph  O 
O  cq 
P  CO 

b/i  cd 

G  T-l 

Jl 

-rK  -)-l> 
rH  ® 

G  O 


aj 


o 

G 


P 

s 

s 

03 

P 

bo 


P 

C/! 

3-^ 

P 


P 

O 


03 

P 

•T? 


-n> 

P 

P 


P 


P 


P 

bv! 


the  Northern  States,  in  winter  the  Thermometer  in  Northern  Florida  even  rarely  sinks  to  the 
freezing  point. 


A  Table  showiug  the  number  of  inches  of  Rain  which  fell  at  Jacksonville,  each 
month  and  each  year  reported,  and  the  average  of  ten  years. 


21 


GO 

r-(  O  O  to 

to 

to  o 

o 

GO 

t 

/H 

■4^ 

'a 

'-I 

CM 

t— 

03 

OO 

cq 

CM  to 

CQ 

to 

£ 

ci 

OO  CM 

CO 

CO  CO  00 

O  QO  <>1 

03 

03 

D 

CO  uz> 

CD  r- 

03 

CO 

03 

tO  to 

ci 

CQ 

cc 

»o 

to 

05 

CO 

CD 

•  fH 

o 

O  QO 

o 

O 

tO 

o 

o 

o  o 

O  O  to 

03 

cc 

d 

lO 

o 

o 

CM  tO 

tO  O  tO  o 

o 

Cl 

GO 

cc 

o 

v 

Q 

I'- 

CD 

CM 

rH 

03 

o 

03  I'-,  o 

O  CD 

HH 

o 

■4^ 

c 

CO 

oi 

CO 

CO 

pH  O'! 

rH 

pH 

Cl 

rH 

o 

o 

o 

o  o 

tO 

to 

o 

o 

o  o  o 

o 

r- 

c 

CL, 

> 

u.. 

to 

to 

CM  OO 

tO  tO 

tO  tO 

o 

o 

OO 

cc! 

-D 

o 

CM 

(M 

to 

CO  to  CD 

03 

o 

ci 

125 

1— ( 

CM 

CO 

CM 

CO 

rH 

CM 

CO 

• 

pH 

-1^ 

yj 

1—* 

o 

o 

o 

O 

O 

o 

o 

o  o 

o 

o 

o 

tO 

o 

. 

o 

o 

O  to 

O  I-H 

o 

O  to 

O  tO 

o 

to 

bo 

V 

»p 

o  o  o 

CM 

o 

O  to  03 

CM 

pH 

r- 

' 

CO 

C3 

CM 

CM  ci 

CM 

(ci  t-' 

CO 

CO 

Hi 

CO 

o 

rH 

o 

tO  O  o 

O 

lO 

o 

o  o  o 

o  o 

to 

«p 

ci 

■4^ 

o 

to 

O  1-- 

CM 

tO  tO 

to 

to 

o 

CO 

Ph 

<55 

02 

o 

Ci 

03 

c: 

CO  I-J  t>; 
Tt^  CO 

<o5 

<D  t-; 
tO  rH 

HH  (Ji  CD 

QO 

o 

CD 

CQ 

o 

D 

o 

a 

tH 

pH 

cS 

O 

o 

O 

o 

o 

o 

CM 

o  o 

o 

o 

o 

to 

CO 

ci 

-4H 

o 

fcb 

O 

o 

o 

to 

tO  tO 

o 

tO  tO 

to 

o 

o 

o 

a 

o 

03 

rH 

50  CO 

o 

pH  O 

00 

to 

o 

I'- 

•  p^ 

c3 

<p 

<1 

o 

CM 

00  CD 

o 

CM  00  t- 

O  CD 

b 

pH 

pH 

pH 

o 

CQ 

rt 

Q 

o 

CG  o 

o 

o 

O 

o 

o  o 

o 

o 

lO 

to 

CD 

O 

03  to 

to 

o 

to 

lO  o 

to 

o 

PH 

o 

>72 

^  CD 

i—t 

00 

O 

03 

to 

o 

CD 

s 

ci 

h-  CD  <M 

O  QO  OO  CD  CD 

03 

o 

o 

CQ 

pH 

rH 

<0 

c3 

4*i» 

ww 

OP  * 

O 

O 

o 

to 

to 

o 

00 

o  o 

o 

to 

o 

Cl 

o 

> 

s 

o 

o 

CM 

CM  to  tO 

tO  o  CD 

CM 

to 

CO 

lO 

CM  OO 

CD 

o 

03  r!tl 

to 

pH 

CO 

CO 

o 

”3 

N.' 

CO  to 

to 

'>!d5 

CO 

1—1 

rH  CO 

rH 

'•H 

<33 

o 

, 

o 

o 

o 

o 

O 

o 

rH 

o  o 

to 

o 

o 

o 

c3 

p: 

o 

CM 

to 

o 

to 

o 

o 

lO  tO 

to 

lO 

r— < 

1  ^ 

a 

C3 

to 

o 

o 

o 

t— 

<33 

exj 

CO 

CO  CO 

pH  CO  CO 

CM 

Cl 

CO 

o 

c 

rH 

o 

o 

' — ! 

O  QO  o  o  o 

to 

o  o  o 

o  o 

o 

o 

0^ 

O  CD  O  iO  CO 

o 

to 

tO  O  tO 

o 

to 

to 

H 

pp 

P. 

CO 

(M 

CO 

CO  OO 

CM 

rH 

03  1'- 

OO 

CO 

c3 

o 

<1 

CO  O 

•  • 

CM 

oi  CO  CO 

— 

Cl 

o 

, 

o 

O 

o  o 

o 

o  o  o  o 

o  o 

o 

CO 

hH> 

o 

U4 

O  O  '  to 

to 

CM  tO  tO  O 

o 

to 

o 

o 

cs 

CD  tO  CO 

CO 

<33 

tO  CO  j>- 

00  rH 

rH 

to 

>3 

CO 

CM 

•— 1 

to  tO 

CM  CO 

tO  CQ 

ni 

CO 

s 

ci 

c 

' 

o 

O 

o 

o 

o 

o 

•o 

o  o 

o 

o 

o 

GO 

o 

r-r- 

O  O  lO 

O  tO 

o 

O  O  tO 

o 

tO 

tO 

PH 

rH 

0) 

CD  CD  rH  lO 

O  CD  CO  CO  CD  'O 

CM 

<33 

GO 

•  p^ 

CM 

rH  CO 

* 

to 

CM  'H 

CM 

HH 

CO 

Cl 

CQ 

•  P4 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

to 

o 

lO  o 

o 

o 

rH 

o 

GO 

c*-l 

d 

to 

o 

CM 

to 

O  1- 

to  I—  to 

o 

Cl 

t  03 

o 

■-H 

ei 

o 

CM 

o 

CO 

pH 

03 

lO 

pH 

pH 

<o 

CO 

O  CO 

CM 

to 

1  Cl 

Cu 

o 

CQ 

Pi 

!M 

CO 

to 

CD 

t>. 

0© 

03  o 

pH 

O 

i=i 

-D 

c 

d 

to 

lO 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to 

to  CD  CD 

o 

CO 

'  h-H 

o 

0) 

00 

00 

OO 

QO 

00 

00 

00 

00  00  OO 

QO 

CO 

i 

o 

K-t 

F— < 

pH 

pH 

pH 

pH 

pH 

pH  PH 

r— • 

PH 

— 

■  %-i 

o  o 
cj  e 

-c  -a 


g  £ 

c3  a, 
— '  o 

O 


oc 

c 


rt  IV 


C  o 
rt  O 


”  c 

o  ^ 

2  -I 


a 

o 


o 
o 

-  O 


t:! 


a 

a 


« 


22 


SOIL. 

At  first  sight  the  Northern  and  Western  farmer  will  bo 
inclined  to  believe  much  of  the  soil  of  Florida  nearly  worth¬ 
less,  So  far  from  the  truth  however  is  this  impression  that  it 
will  not  hold  good  even  of  the  forests  lands  ;  the  “  black  jack” 
ridges  and  the  low  “  flatwoods.”  The  soil  is  generally  sandy 
with  more  or  less  admixture  of  clay,  lime  and  organic  matter. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  lands  in  Florida  may  be  designated 
as  pine  lands  ;  the  pitch  and  yellow  or  long  beard  pine  (Pinus 
Labrusca)  being  the  principal  timber.  In  the  hummocks  it  is 
mingled  with  white,  live  and  water  oak,  gum,  bay,  hickory, 
magnolia,  cabbage  palmetto,  &c.,  &c. 

The  classification  of  lands  in  common  use  being  based  upon 
their  elevation  and  the  character  of  their  vegetable  growth, 
does  not  indicate  very  fully  the  quality  of  the  soil.  There  are 
the  hummock,  pine  and  swamp  lands.  Then  there  is  the  high 
and  light  hummock,  and  the  low  or  heavy  hummock;  of  pine 
lands  there  are  the  first,  second  and  third  rate.  The  charac¬ 
teristic  of  hummock  land  as  distinguished  from  pine  is  in  the 
fact  of  its  being  covered  with  a  growth  of  underbrush,  while 
the  pine  lands  arc  open.  Whenever,  then,  the  land  is  not  so 
low  as  to  be  called  swamp,  and  produces  an  undergrowth  of 
shrubbery,  it  is  called  hummock. 

The  late  Dr.  Byrne,  an  old  resident  of  Florida,  in  a  series  of 
letters  written  in  1860  gives  a  description  of  the  lands  in  Flo¬ 
rida,  so  accurate  and  so  well  adapted  to  our  purpose,  that  we 
copy  it  nearly  entire. 

“  There  is  in  every  State  and  Territory  in  the  Union,'  a  very 
large  proportion  of  barren  and  poor  lands  ;  but  that  the  ratio 
of  these  lands  differ  greatly  in  different  States,  Florida  has  a 
due  proportion  of  poor  lands  ;  but,  compared  with  other  States, 
the  ratio  of  her  la^rren  and  worthless  lands  is  very  small.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Everglades,  and  her  irreclaimable  swamp 
lands,  there  is  scarcely  an  acre  in  the  whole  State  of  Florida 
that  is  entirely  worthless,  or  which  cannot  be  made,  under  her 
tropical  climate,  tributary  to  some  agricultural  production. 
Lands  which  in  a  more  Northern  climate  would  be  utterly 
worthless,  will,  in  Florida,  owing  to  her  tropical  character, 
yield  valuable  productions.  For  example,  the  poorest  pine 
barren  lands  of  Florida,  will  produce  without  manure,  a  lux¬ 
uriant  crop  of  Sisal  Hemp,  which  yields  more  profit  to  the  acre 
than  the  richest  land  will  when  cultivated  in  sugar,  cotton  or 
tobacco.  So  it  is  with  numerous  other  valuable  tropical  pro¬ 
ducts  that  are  adapted  to  the  lands,  that  in  more  Northern 
climates  would  yield  nothing  to  agriculture.  Besides  this, 


23 


there  are  iu  Florida  no  mountain  wastes — no  barren  prairies 
— and  there  are  but  few  acres  in  the  whole  State  not  under 
cultivation,  that  arc  not  covered  with  valuable  timber. 

I  shall  here  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  different  descriptions 
of  the  lands  in  i^loriia. 

Pine  lands  (pitch  and  yellow  pine)  form  the  basis  of  Florida. 
These  lands  are  usually  divided  into  three  classes,  denoting 
first,  second  and  third  rate  pine  lands. 

That  which  is  denominated  “  first  rate  pine  land”  in  Florida 
has  nothing  analogous  to  it  in  any  of  the  other  btates.  Its 
surface  is  covered,  for  several  inches  deep,  with  a  dark  vege¬ 
table  mould,  beneath  which,  to  the  depth  of  several^  feet,  is  a 
chocolate  colored  sandy  loam,  mixed  with  the  most  part,  with 
limestone  pebbles,  and  resting  on  a  substratum  of  marl,  clay, 
or  limestone  rock.  The  fertility  and  durability  of  this  descrip¬ 
tion  of  land  may  be  estimated  from  the  w^ell-known  fact  that  it 
has,  on  the  Upper  Suwannee  and  in  several  other  districts, 
yielded,  during  fourteen  years  of  successive  cultivation,  with¬ 
out  the  aid  of  manure,  four  hundred  pounds  of  8ea  Island  Cotton 
to  the  acre.  These  lands  are  still  as  productive  as  ever,  so 
that  the  limit  of  their  durability  is  still  unknown. 

The  “  second  rate  pine  ”  land,  which  form  the  largest  propor¬ 
tion  of  Florida,  are  all  productive.  These  lands  afford  fine 
natural  pasturage ;  they  are  heavily  timbered  with  the  best  spe 
cies  of  pitch  and  yellow  pine ;  they  are  for  the  most  part,  high, 
rolling,  healthy  and  well-watered.  They  are  generally  based 
upon  marl,  clay  or  limestone.  They  will  produce  for  several 
years  without  the  aid  of  manure,  and  when  cow-penned,  they 
will  yield  two  thousand  pounds  of  the  best  quality  sugar  to  the 
acre,  or  about  three  hundred  pounds  of  Sea  Island  Cotton. 
They  will,  besides,  when  properly  cultivated,  produce  the  finest 
Cuba  tobacco,  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  and  various  other  tropi¬ 
cal  productions,  which  must  in  many  instances  render  them 
more  valuable  than  the  best  bottom  lands  in  the  more  northern 
States. 

Even  the  lands  of  the  “  third  rate,”  or  most  inferior  class, 
are  by  no  means  worthless  under  the  climate  of  Florida.  This 
class  of  lands  may  be  divided  into  two  orders ;  the  one  com¬ 
prising  high  rolling  sandy  districts,  which  are  sparsely  covered 
with  a  stunted  growth  of  “  black  jack  ”  and  pine ;  the  other 
embracing  low,  flat,  swampy  regions,  which  are  frequently 
studded  with  “  bay  galls,”  and  are  occasionally’  innundated, 
but  which  are  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  very 
generally  with  valuable  timber.  The  former  of  those,  it  is  now 
ascertained,  owing  to  their  calcarous  soil,  is  well  adapted  to  the 
growth  of  the  Sisal  Hemp,  which  is  a  valuable  tropical  produc¬ 
tion.  This  plant,  (the  Agave  Sisiliana)  and  the  Agave  Mexi- 


24 


cana  Hemp,  also  known  as  the  Maguay,  the  Pulke  Plant,  the 
Century  Plant,  &c.,  have  both  been  introduced  into  Florida, 
and  they  both  grow  in  great  perfection  on  the  poorest  lands  of 
the  country.  As  these  plants  derive  their  chief  support  from 
the  atmosphere,  they  will,  like  the  common  air  plant,  preserve 
their  vitality  for  many  months  when  left  out  of  the  ground. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the  second  order  of  the 
third  rate  pine  lands,  as  here  described,  is  far  from  worthless. 
These  lands  afford  a  most  excellent  range  for  cattle,  besides 
being  valuable  for  their  timber  and  the  naval  stores  which  they 
Avill  produce. 

There  is  one  general  feature  in  the  topograjjhy  of  Florida, 
which  no  other  country  in  the  United  States  possesses,  and 
which  affords  a  great  security  to  the  health  of  its  inhabitants. 
It  is  this,  that  the  pine  lands  which  form  the  basis  of  the  coun- 
tiT,  and  which  are  almost  universally  healthy,  are  nearly  every 
where  studded  at  intervals  of  a  few  miles,  with  hummock  lands 
of  the  richest  quality.  These  hummocks  are  not,  as  is  generally 
supposed,  low  Wet  lands;  they  never  require  ditching  or  drain¬ 
ing  ;  thev  vary  in  extent  from  tAventv  acres  to  fortv  thousand 
acres,  and  will  probably  average  about  500  acres  each.  Hence 
the  inhabitants  have  it  everywhere  in  their  power  to  select 
residences  in  the  pine  lands,  at  such  convenient  distances  from 
the  hummocks  as  will  enable  them  to  cultivate  the  latter,  with¬ 
out  endangering  their  health,  if  it  should  so  happen  that  any 
of  the  hummocks  proved  to  be  less  healthy  than  the  pine  woods. 

Experience  in  Florida  has  satisfactorily  shown  that  residen- 
('cs  only  half  a  mile  distant  from  cultivated  hummocks  are  en¬ 
tirely  exempt  from  malaria  diseases,  and  that  the  negroes  wlio 
cultivate  those  hummocks,  and  retire  at  night  to  pine  land 
residences,  maintain  perfect  healtli.  Indeed  it  is  foujid  that 
residences  in  the  hummocks  themselves  are  generally  perfectly 
healthv  after  thev  have  been  a  few  vears  cleared.  Xewlv  cleared 
lands  are  sometimes  attended  with  the  develo[)merit  ol  more  or 
less  malaria.  In  Florida  the  diseases  wliich  result  from  those* 
clearings  are,  as  I  stated  in  my  former  letter,  generally  of  the 
mildest  t}q)e,  (simple  intermittent  fever ;)  while  in  nearly  all 
the  southern  States  they  aie  most  fre(|uenLly  of  a  s(‘vere  grade 
<.)f  bilious  fever. 

Tho topographical  feature  here  noted,  namely,  a  genteel  in- 
terspersion  of  rich  hummocks,  surrounded  by  high,  dry  rolling, 
healthy  pine  woods,  is  aji  advantage  Avhich  no  other  State  in 
the  Union  enjoys;  and  Florida  forms  in  this  respect,  a  sticking 
contrast  with  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Texas,  whose  Sugar 
and  Cotton  lands  are  generally  surrounded  by  vast  alluvial  re¬ 
gions,  subject  to  frequent  inundations,  so  that  it  is  impossible 
to  obtain,.Avithin  many  miles  of  them,  a  healthy  residence. 


25 


Ifc  would  seem  paradoxical  that  the  malaiia  diseases  of  East 
Florida  (abounding  as  it  does  in  rich  hummock  lands,  and'ex- 
posed  to  a  tropical  sun,)  should  generally  be  of  a  much  milder 
form  than  those  which  prevail  in  more  northern  latitudes. 
That  such,  however,  is  the  fact,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  for 
this  fact  is  proved  by  an  aggregate  of  evidence  (extending  over 
more  than  twenty  years,)  which  it  is  impossible  to  resist.  It 
is  suggested,  in  explanation  of  this  fact,  that  the  luxuriant 
vegetation  which  in  the  Southern  and  Middle  States,  passes 
through  all  the  stages  of  decomposition,  is,  in  East  Florida, 
generally  dried  up  before  it  reaches  the  putrefactive  stages  of 
decomposition,  and  that  consequently  the  quantity  of  malaria 
generated  is  much  less  than  in  climates  more  favorable  to  de¬ 
composition.  This  view  is  strengthened  by  facts  that  the  soil 
of  Florida  is  almost  everywhere  of  so  porous  and  absorbent  a 
character  that  moisture  is  seldom  long  retained  on  its  surface ; 
that  its  atmosphere  is  in  constant  motion,  and  that  there  is 
more  clear  sunshine  than  in  the  more  northern  States.  It  is 
further  suggested  that  the  uniform  prevalence  of  sea  breezes, 
and  the  constant  motion  of  the  atmosphere  in  the  Peninsula, 
tend  so  much  to  diffuse  and  attenuate  whatsoever  poison  is 
generated,  that  it  will  generally  produce  but  the  mildest  forms 
of  malaria  disease,  such  as  intermittent  fever. 

The  lands  which  in  Florida  are,  par  excellence,  denominated 
“  rich  land,”  are  first,  the  “  swamp  lands second,  the  ‘‘  low 
hummock  lands third,  the  “high  hummocks,”  and  fourth,  the 
“  first-rate  pine,  oak  and  hickory  lands.” 

The  swamp  lands  are,  unquestionably,  the  most  durably  rich 
lands  in  the  country.  They  are  the  most  recently  formed 
lands,  and  are  still  annually  receiving  additions  to  their  surface. 
They  are  intrinsically  the  most  valuable  lands  in  Florida,  being 
as  fertile  as  the  hummocks,  and  more  durable.  They  are  evi¬ 
dently  alluvial  and  of  recent  formation.  They  occupy  natural 
depressions  of  basins,  which  have  been  gradually  filled  up  by 
deposits  of  vegetable  debris,  &c.,  washed  in  from  the  adjacent 
and  higher  lands.  Ditching  is  indispensable  to  all  of  them  in 
their  preparation  for  successful  cultivation.  Properly  prepared, 
however,  their  inexhaustible  fertility  sustains  a  succession  of 
the  most  exhausting  crops  ^\dth  astonishing  vigor.  The  great¬ 
est  yield  of  sugar  ever  realized  in  Florida,  was  produced  on  this 
description  of  land,  viz :  four  hogsheads  per  acre.  That  this 
quantity  was  produced  On  Dummitt’s  plantation  near  Xew 
Smyrna,  is  a  fact  well  known  to  those  conversant  Avith  sugar 
planting  in  East  Florida.  Sugar  cane  is  liere  instanced  as  a 
measure  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  because  it  is  one  of  the  most 
exhausting  crops  known,  and  is  generally  grown  without  rest 
or  rotation.  It  is  not,  lioAveA^er,  a  fair  criterion  bv  Avhich  to 

4 


26 


i 


judge  of  the  relative  fertility  of  lands  situated  in  dilferent  cli- 
niaiX^s,  for  we  find  on  the  richest  lands  in  Louisiana  of  sugar 
per  acre,  is  not  more  than  one  hogshead,  or  about  half  that  of 
East  Florida. 

This  great  disparity  in  the  product  of  those  countries  is 
accounted  for,  not  by  any  inferiority  in  the  lands  of  Louisiana 
or  Texas,  but  by  the  fact  that  the  early  incursions  of  frost  in 
both  these  States  renders  it  necessary  to  cut  the  cane  in  October, 
which  is  long  before  it  has  reached  maturity,  while  in  East 
Florida  it  is  permitted  to  stand,  without  fear  of  frost,  till  De¬ 
cember,  or  till  such  time  as  it  is  fully  matured.  It  is  well 
known  that  it  ‘riassels”  in  East  Florida,  and  it  never  does  so 
in  either  Louisiana  or  Texas.  When  cane  tassels  ”  it  is  evi¬ 
dence  of  its  having  reached  full  maturity.  In  consequence  of 
the  heavy  outlay  of  capital  required  in  the  preparation  of  this 
description  of  land  for  cultivation,  and  from  the  facility  of 
obtaining  hummock  land,  which  requires  no  ditching  nor 
draining,  swamp  land  has  been  but  little  sought  after  by  persons 
engaged  in  planting  in  Florida,  and  there  is  now  at  least  a 
million  of  acres  of  the  best  description  of  this  land  vacant  in 
the  country,  and  which  can  be  secured  at  less  than  two  dollars 
per  acre.  Vast  bodies  of  it  lie  convenient  to  navigation  and 
railways,  and  doubtless  will  soon  be  sought  after  with  avidity, 
as  soon  as  the  sugar  planters  of  Louisiana  and  Texas  become 
apprized  of  its  character,  and  of  the  many  advantages  which 
sugar  planting  in  Florida  presents  over  any  other  State  in  the 
Union. 

Loiu  Hummocks,  which  from  the  fact  of  their  participating 
of  the  nature  of  hummocks  and  swamps,  are  sometimes  termed 
Swammock,  are  not  inferior  to  swamp  lands  in  fertility,  but 
perhaps  are  not  quite  as  durable.  They  are  nearly  always’ 
level,  or  nearly  so,  and  have  a  soil  of  greater  tenacity  than  that 
of  the  high  hummocks.  Some  ditching  is  necessary  in  many 
of  them.  The  soil  in  them  is  always  deep.  These  lands  are 
also  extremely  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  the  cane,  as  has 
been  well  attested  by  the  many  plantations  which  were  former¬ 
ly  in  operation  here  on  this  description  of  land.  There  is  not 
nearly  so  large  a  proportion  of  low  hummock  as  there  is  of 
swamp  lands. 

High  Hummocks  are  the  lands  in  the  greatest  repute  in 
Florida.  These  differ  from  low  hummocks  in  occupying  high¬ 
er  ground,  and  in  generally  presenting  an  undulating  surface. 
They  are  formed  of  a  fine  vegetable  mould,  mixed  with  a  sandy 
loam  in  many  places  two  feet  deep,  and  resting  in  most  cases 
on  a  substratum  of  clay,  marl  or  limestone.  It  will  be  readily 
understood  by  any  one  at  all  acquainted  with  agriculture,  that 
such  a  soil,  in  such  a  climate  as  Florida,  must  be  extremely 


% 


27 


productive.  This  soil  scarcely  ever  suffers  from  too  much  wet ; 
nor  does  drought  affect  it  in  the  same  degree  as  other  lands. 
High  hummock  lands  produce  with  but  little  labor  of  cultiva¬ 
tion,  all  the  crops  of  the  country  in  an  eminent  degree.  Such 
lands  have  no  tendency  to  break  up  in  heavy  masses,  nor  are 
they  infested  with  pernicious  weeds  or  grasses.  Their  extraor¬ 
dinary  fertility  and  productiveness  may  be  estimated  by  the 
fact  m  several  well  known  instances,  in  Marion  County, 
(Clinch’s,  McIntosh’s  &c.,)  three  hogsheads  of  sugar  have  been 
made  per  acre  on  this  description  of  land,  after  it  had  been  in 
cultivation  six  years,  in  successive  crops  of  corn,  without  the 
aid  of  manure. 

To  sum  up  its  advantages,  it  requires  no  other  i)reparation 
than  clearing  and  plowing  to  fit  it  at  once  for  the  greatest  pos¬ 
sible  production  of  any  kind  of  crop  adapted  to  the  climate. 
In  unfavorable  seasons  it  is  much  more  certain  to  produce  a 
good  crop  than  any  other  kind  of  land,  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
less  affected  by  exclusive  dry  or  wet  weather.  It  can  be  culti¬ 
vated  with  much  less  labor  than  any  other  lands,  being  re¬ 
markably  mellow,  and  its  vicinity  is  generally  high  and  healthy. 
These  reasons  are  sufficient  to  entitle  it  to  the  estimation  in 
which  it  is  held  over  all  other  lands. 

The  first-rate  pine,  oak  and  hickory  lands  are  found  in  pretty 
extensive  bodies  in  many  parts  of  the  State,  particularly  in 
Marion,  Alachua  and  Hernando  counties.  From  the  fact  that 
those  lands  can  be  cleared  at  much  less  expense  than  the  swamp 
and  hummock  lands,  they  have  heretofore  been  preferred  by  the 
small  planters,  and  have  proved  remarkably  productive. 

There  are,  besides  the  lands  already  noticed,  extensive  tracts 
of  Savanna  lands,  which  approximate  in  character,  texture  of 
the  soil,  and  period  and  mode  of  formation,  to  the  swamp  lands, 
differing  only  in  being  destitute  of  timber.  Some  of  these  lands 
are,  however,  extremely  poor. 

Probably  the  largest  bodies  of  rich  hummock  land  in  East 
Florida  are  to  be  found  in  Levy,  Alachua,  ]\Iarion,  Hernando 
and  Sumpter  Counties.  There  are  in  Levy  County  alone,  not 
less  than  one  hundred  thousand  acres  of  the  very  best  descrip¬ 
tion  of  sugar  lands ;  and  there  is  but  a  small  proportion  in  any 
of  the  five  counties  here  cited,  that  will  not  produce  remunera¬ 
tive  crops  of  Sea  Island  and  Short  Staple  Cotton,  without  the 
aid  of  manure.” 

The  lands  on  the  St.  John’s  River,  taken  as  a  whole,  arc  not 
as  fertile  as  in  some  other  sections  of  the  State.  There  are,  how¬ 
ever,  thousands  of  acres  of  rich  hummock  land  within  a  mile  of 
the  river,  which  are  as  yet  an  unbroken  forest,  and  the  pine  lands 
are  much  better  than  the  average  of  the  whole  State.  Besides 
there  is  an  abundance  of  muck  on  the  banks  of  the  river  and 


28 


its  tributaries,  which  furnishes  a  most  excellent  fertilizer. 
Lime,  marl  and  shells  are  also  easily  obtained,  and  have  been 
used  with  very  beneficial  results. 

In  Middle  Florida,  the  Counties  of  Leon,  Gadsden,  Jefferson 
and  Madison,  have  large  quantities  of  high,  rolling  hummock 
land ;  also  the  County  of  Jackson  in  West  Florida.  They  are 
much  more  undulating  than  in  East  Florida,  and  are  underlaid 
with  a  stiff  red  clay.  They  are  by  far  the  best  lands  in  the 
State  for  short  staple  Cotton,  to  which  they  have  been  almost 
exclusively  appropriated.  There  is  in  Volusia  County,  a  range 
of  low  hummock,  a  little  back  from  the  coast,  from  a  half  to 
two  miles  wide,  and  extending  from  the  head  of  the  Halifax  to 
the  head  of  the  Indian  Eiver,  some  fifty  miles,  as  well  adapted 
to  sugar  cane  as  any  land  in  the  State.  The  Gulf  hummock 
in  Levy  County,  comprises  perhaps  the  largest  body  of  rich 
land  in  Florida.  It  was  bought  up  years  ago  at  from  five  to 
ten  dollars  per  acre  by  private  parties,  by  whom  it  is  mostly 
held  at  the  present  time.  The  Florida  Kailroad  runs  through 
it,  and  it  will  no  doubt  become,  at  an  early  day,  one  of  the 
garden  spots  of  the  State.  The  clearing  of  the  hummocks, 
however,  is  expensive,  and,  as  in  every  new  country,  we  may 
expect  to  see  the  lands  more  lightly  timbered  first  brought 
into  cultivation. 


PRODUCTIONS. 


FIELD  CROPS. 

0 

In  no  State  of  the  Union  can  so  extensive  a  variety  of  valua¬ 
ble  productions  be  successfully  cultivated  as  in  Florida.  Most 
of  the  crops  grown  in  the  temperate  zone  flourish  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  State.  Nearly  all  the  Peninsula  is  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  semi-tropical  fruits.  At  least  one-fourth  of  the 
entire  area  of  the  State  is  south  of  the  line  of  frost,  and  v;ill  grow 
successfully  the  tropical  productions  of  the  West  Indies.  Here¬ 
tofore  Cotton  has  been  the  principal  staple.  Indian  Corn  has 
been  largely  raised,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantity  to  supply  the 
home  demand.  Tobacco  and  sugar  have  been  grown  to  some 
extent.  Of  late,  however,  attention  has  been  turned  to  other 
productions,  and  a  new  era  in  the  development  of  the  resources 
of  Florida  has  already  commenced.  On  the  St.  John’s  river  and 
along  the  railroads,  the  culture  of  vegetables  for  the  northern 


29 


markets  is  receiving  much  attention,  and  is  no  longer  an  experi¬ 
ment.  Fruit  growing,  hitherto  neglected,  is  being  prosecuted 
with  energy,  and  cannot  fail  to  become  one  of  our  most  important 
interests.  There  are  large  quantities  of  land  in  Florida  yet  in  a 
state  of  nature,  admirably  adapted  to  the  culture  of  cane,  and 
there  is  little  doubt  that  within  a  few  years.  Sugar  will  become 
an  important  staple.  In  giving  an  account  of  the  more  import¬ 
ant  productions,  we  have  condensed  into  a  small  space  much  in¬ 
formation  concerning  their  cultivation,  &c.,  which  to  those  unac¬ 
quainted  with  the  climate  and  soil  of  Florida,  will  prove  we  doubt 
not,  both  interesting  and  useful.  We  place  first  on  the  list, 

INDIAN  CORN. 

It  is  to  the  mass  of  the  people  the  “  staff  of  life.”  It  is  grown 
in  all  parts  of  the  State.  On  rich  bottom  lands  from  50  to  60 
bushels  per  acre  is  raised,  while  on  ordinary  pine  lands,  without 
manure,  10  bushels  per  acre  is  a  fair  crop.  February  is  the  best 
month  to  plant.  The  common  method  is  to  plant  in  hills,  four 
feet  apart  each  w^ay,  thinning  out  to  one  or  two  stalks  to 
each  hill  at  the  first  plowing.  Three  plowings  are  usually  given ; 
the  last  early  in  June.  The  hand-hoe  is  used  at  the  first  and 
second  plowings,  to  cut  up  the  weeds  not  turned  under  by  the 
plow.  It  is  customary,  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  after  the  Cot¬ 
ton  crop  has  been  laid  by,  to  strip  off  the  blades  and  bind  them 
in  bundles  for  fodder,  but  we  doubt  if  it  will  pay  at  the  present 
cost  of  labor.  During  the  fall  months  the  ears  of  corn  are  broken 
off  and  stored  in  the  crib  without  husking.  This  is  to  prevent 
the  depredations  of  the  wevil  upon  the  grain  after  it  is  stored. 

COTTON. 

In  1S60  Florida  produced  63,322  bales  of  ginned  cotton. 
The  crop  of  last  year,  though  much  less  in  quantity  exceeded  in 
value  that  of  1860,  but  did  not  pay  the  cost  of  cultivation  on  the 
whole.  Without  doubt,  however,  it  will  continue  to  be  cultivated 
and  to  be  an  important  staple,  but  will  not,  as  formerly,  monop¬ 
olize  the  capital  and  industry  of  the  country.  Both  the  long 
staple  or  sea-island,  and  the  short  staple  or  upland  Cotton  are 
cultivated.  There  is  but  little  long  cotton  grown  west  of  the 
Suwanee  river,  except  in  the  County  of  Gadsden,  and  scarcely 
any  short  cotton  east  of  the  Suwanee.  April  is  the  month  for 
planting.  Many  commence  the  last  of  March.  The  picking 
season  commences  the  last  of  August,  and  continues  until  Christ¬ 
mas.  200  to  300  pounds  of  short  Cotton  per  acre  is  a  fair  yield 
upon  ordinary  soils,  but  5001bs  per  acre  is  not  an  unusual  crop  on 
strong  land.  Long  Cotton  produces  from  100  to  200  pounds 
per  acre  as  an  average  crop,  but  under  favorable  circumstances, 


30 


300  and  even  400  pounds  have  been  raised.  We  cannot  enter 
into  the  details  of  its  culture,  and  give  no  estimates  upon  the 
cost  of  cultivation.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  plantation 
system  must  pass  away,  and  the  large  landed  estates  be  divided 
up  into  small  farms,  to  be  cultivated  in  the  main  by  those  who 
hold  the  title  to  the  soil.  This  change,  of  course,  is  not  to  be 
effected  in  one  year  or  five,  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
this  generation,  even  will  see  it  consummated.  Whether  cotton 
will  continue,  under  the  new  system,  to  be  our  most  important 
staple  is,  of  course,  problematical,  but  the  conditions  under 
which  it  will  be  cultivated  will  be  so  different,  that  an  estimate 
of  the  cost  of  cultivation  under  the  present  method,  would  be  of 
little  value. 


SUGAR. 

Sugar  Cane  has  been  cultivated  in  small  patches  for  home 
consumption,  and  to  some  extent  for  market.  The  adaptability 
of  the  soil  and  climate  of  Florida  to  its  culture  has  long  been 
known,  but  owing  to  a  variety  of  causes,  its  resources  in  this 
direction  have  hardly  begun  to  be  developed.  As  early  as  1823, 
Vignoles  writes  as  follows  : — “  Respecting  Sugar,  the  recent 
successful  trials  that  have  been  made  upon  it,  have  determined 
the  curious  fact  that  it  will  grow  in  almost  any  of  the  soils  of 
Florida,  south  of  the  mouth  of  St.  John’s  river;  the  great  length 
of  summer,  or  period  of  absolute  elevation  of  the  thermometer 
above  the  freezing  point,  allows  the  cane  to  ripen  much  higher 
than  in  Louisiana.”  Williams,  writing  in  1837,  says: — “This 
(Sugar,)  ought  to  be  the  staple  of  the  country.  Experiments  in 
every  part  of  the  territory  prove  that  all  our  good  lands  will 
produce  Sugar  Cane  as  well  as  any  other  crop.”  Further  on  he 
says : — “A  general  impression  has  prevailed  that  sugar  could  not 
be  made  to  advantage  unless  a  great  capital  is  invested ;  but 
•  experience  abundantly  proves  that  a  small  capital  may  be  as 

profitably  employed  in  the  culture  of  Cane  as  in  any  other  pro¬ 
duct.”  The  truth  of  the  above  statements  have  been  proved 
by  recent  experiments.  A  correspondent  of  the  Evening  Post, 
writing  from  Enterprise  the  past  winter,  says : — “  Sugar  cane 
has  been  raised  with  success  for  many  years.  I  saw  on  the  farm 
of  0.  C.  Arnett,  on  the  lake,  the  largest  field  I  have  yet  found 
in  the  State.  ,  He  cultivated  ten  acres.  His  land  is  hummock, 
and  has  been  cultivated  without  manure  for  nearly  twenty  years. 
Mr.  Arnett’s  crop  was  not  planted  until  the  middle  of  February, 
instead  of  the  usual  time,  between  Christmas  and  the  last  of 
January.  He  banked  the  earth  around  the  cane  throughout 
the  season,  leaving  a  deep  furrow  between  the  row’s.  He  has 
just  finished  manufacturing  his  crop,  and  finds  that  it  has  produ- 


31 


ced  at  the  rate  of  1,500  lbs.  of  Sugar,  and  300  gallons  of  Molas¬ 
ses  to  the  acre.”  Allowing  a  gallon  of  Molasses  to  make  five 
pounds  of  Sugar  (a  low  estimate),  and  we  have  3,000  pounds  to 
the  acre,  from  land  which  has  been  cultivated  without  manure 
for  near  twepty  years.  Solon  Eobinson,  who  spent  the  past 
winter  in  Florida,  gives  an  extended  account  of  the  experiments 
of  Mr.  W.W.  Holden,  of  Orange  County,  in  the  culture  of  Sugar 
Cane,  from  which  we  extract  the  following:  “  Mr.  Holden’s 
place  is  upon  just  such  land  as  composes  the  great  body  of  East 
Florida — that  is,  dry  sandy  soil  with  clay  deep  down ;  the  most 
common  growth  long-leaf  pine  [Finns  palnstris)^  some  oaks,  hick¬ 
ory,  holly,  and  other  trees,  and  a  natural  growth  of  weeds  that 
would  astonish  a  northern  farmer.  With  good  cultivation  in  a 
favorable  season,  Mr.  Holden  estimates  a  fair  crop  of  corn  at  20 
bushels  per  acre  in  that  vicinity.  His  crop  last  year  was  17 h 
bushels  per  acre.  Since  the  war  he-  has  been  experimenting 
with  Sugar  Cane  upon  such  land  as  I  have  described — that  is, 
good,  fair  quality,  sandy,  pine  land;  such  as  gave  17J  bushels 
of ’corn  to  the  acre;  and  this  is  the  result.  He  had,  the  past 
season,  2^  acres  of  ‘  plant  cane,’  (a  term  used  to  distinguish  it 
from  that  which  grows  after  the  first  year  from  the  rattoons) 
worked  in  the  same  way  and  to  the  same  amount  as  he  worked 
his  corn  ;  and  planted  the  same  distance  apart  in  February.  It 
is  usual  to  make  beds  for  the  cane.  He  did  not,  but  cultivated 
flat  and  not  as  much  as  would  have  been  profitable.  He  has 
(January  15,)  just  finished  grinding,  and  has  20  barrels  of  beau¬ 
tiful  Sugar,  worth  13c.  per  lb.  at  the  mill,  and  11  barrels  Syrup 
worth  75c.  per  gallon.  He  uses  a  three-roller  iron  mill,  driven 
by  a  pair  of  horses,  and  it  required  himself,  three  men  and  two 
boys  ten  days  to  work  up  the  crop.”  Mr.  Eobinson  estimates 
the  cost  of  the  above  crop  at  $450.  Estimating  225  lbs.  of  Su¬ 
gar  to  a  barrel,  at  the  prices  mentioned  the  crop  would  amount 
to  $873.75,  or  $388.33  per  acre.  Beyond  question,  the  ordinary 
yield  of  Sugar  per  acre,  in  Florida,  is  nearly  twice  as  great  as 
in  Louisiana,  and  the  soil  is  much  easier  tilled.  The  Cane  pro¬ 
duces  well  from  the  rattoon  for  three  to  five  years,  and  even 
longer  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  State.  Experiments  which 
have  been  made  in  fertilizing  indicate  that  swamp  muck  is  one 
of  the  very  best  manures  for  this  crop.  Of  this  there  is  an 
abundance  within  the  reach  of  almost  every  man’s  farm.  But 
there  are  thousands  of  acres  of  rich  hummocks  yet  in  a  state  of 
nature,  which  are  susceptible  of  producing,  for  a  series  of  years, 
without  manure,  as  fine  crops  of  Sugar  as  any  that  grow  in  the 
West  Indies.  The  idea  has  been  prevalent  that  Sugar  Making 
must  be  conducted  on  a  large  scale  to  make  it  profitable,  but  this 
is  an  error.  “  1  am  now  well  satisfied,”  says  Mr.  Eobinson, 
‘•that  small  farmers  can  grow  Cane  upon  any  good  pine  land  by 


\ 


32 


manuring,  and  can  make  Sugar  as  easily  as  Yankee  farmers 
make  cider,”  and  he  adds  :  “  Undoubtedly  it  would  be  more 
remunerative,  indeed  extremely  profitable,  on  a  large  scale.” 

SWEET  POTATOES. 

Next  to  Indian  Corn,  the  most  important  article  of  vegetable 
food  in  common  use  is  the  Sweet  Potatoe.  They  do  best  on  a 
light  soil,  well  manured.  The  yield  per  acre  is  from  100  to  300 
bushels,  depending  upon  the  season,  culture  and  quality  of  soil. 
They  are  propagated  from  the  seed,  like  Irish  Potatoes ;  from 
draws,  and  from  the  vines.  Under  the  first  method,  the  Potatoes 
are  planted  in  hills  or  drills  early  in  the  season,  and  cultivated 
very  much  the  same  as  Irish  Potatoes.  By  the  second  method, 
the  Potatoes  are  planted  thickly  in  a  bed ;  when  they  have 
sprouted  two  or  three  inches,  the  young  shoots,  called  draws^ 
are  broken  off  and  set  out  in  the  field.  This  must  be  done  in 
damp  or  showery  weather.  The  third  is  by  cutting  off  and 
planting  out  pieces  of  the  vines,  after  the  plants  have  commenced 
running.  The  crop  raised  from  vines  is  later,  but  frequently  not 
inferior  either  in  quantity  or  quality  to  that  raised  by  the  other 
methods  of  propagation.  The  early  crop  begins  to  mature  about 
midsummer.  The  crop  is  a  profitable  one,  and  deserving  of 
more  attention,  as  a  market  crop,  than  it  has  hitherto  received. 
Sweet  Potatoes  bear  shipment  well,  and  always  command  good 
prices  in  the  Northern  Markets. 

IRISH  POTATOES. 

This  crop  does  not  produce  as  well  as  at  the  North,  but  is 
off  in  time  to  be  followed  by  a  crop  of  Sweet  Potatoes  the  same 
year.  They  should  be  planted  in  January,  although  good  crops 
are  sometimes  obtained  from  later  planting.  A  covering  of  muck, 
grass  or  coarse  compost  is  very  beneficial.  The'  Potatoes  are  fit 
for  digging  in  May.  They  can  be  shipped  without  difficulty,  and 
at  a  moderate  expense,  to  the  northern  markets,  where  they  are 
worth  eight  to  nine  dollars  per  barrel.  The  culture  is  essentially 
the  same  as  that  practiced  at  the  North. 


RICE. 

There  is  much  low  land  in  Florida,  well  adapted  to  the  cult¬ 
ure  of  Pice.  It  has  been  raised  to  quite  an  extent  for  home 
consumption.  Forty  to  sixty  bushels  per  acre  of  rough  rice  is  an 
average  crop.  It  is  not  likely  to  become  a  staple  crop,  still  it 
may  be  cultivated  to  advantage  in  many  locations.  It  is  much 
used  as  an  article  of  food  by  all  classes. 


33 


TOBACCO. 

Cuba  Tobacco  was  largely  cultivated  in  the  county  of  Gads* 
den  before  the  war,  and  to  some  extent  in  some  other  portions 
of  the  State;  but  it  is  now  almost  entirely  neglected.  The  cul¬ 
tivation  is  somewhat  tedious.  There  is  no  crop  that  requires  so 
constant  attention.  Three  cuttings  in  a  season  are  produced 
from  the  same  stalks.  Tobacco  is  an  exhaustive  crop,  and  re¬ 
quires  a  fertile  soil.  Still  its  cultivation  on  a  small  scale  may 
be  made  extremely  profitable.  7 00  lbs.  to  the  acre  is  an  average 
yield. 

INDIGO. 

Under  the  British  occupation  of  Florida,  Indigo  was  the  prin¬ 
cipal  staple.  It  is  a  sure  crop,  but  its  culture  has  been  wholly 
abandoned.  The  plant  grows  wild  in  many  parts  of  the  State, 
and  will  doubtless  at  some  future  time  be  cultivated  extensively. 
The  plant  has  become  naturalized  or  is  indigenous,  and  is  found 
growing  wild  in  various  parts  of  the  State. 

SISAL  HEMP. 

Dr.  Henry  Ferine  introduced  the  Sisal  Hemp  into  South 
Florida  some  25  years  ago,  from  Yucatan.  It  is  a  purely  tropi¬ 
cal  plant.  The  soil  and  climate  south  of  the  line  of  frost  is  well 
adapted  to  its  growth.  Heretofore  the  difiiculty  has  been  in 
devising  some  economical  method  of  separating  the  fibre  from 
the  pulp.  A  machine  has  been  invented  recently,  which  is 
cheap,  and  believed  to  be  efiBcient.  Concerning  its  culture  the 
late  Wm.  C.  Dennis,  of  Key  West,  says  :  “  It  is  no  longer  an 

experiment  here,  as  to  the  growth  of  the  plant,  the  amount  of 
the  product  or  the  value  of  the  fibre.  It  requires  no  replanting, 
and  very  little  care  after  the  first  year  or  two.  A  ton  of  clean¬ 
ed  hemp  can  be  made  to  the  acre,  worth  at  least  $300  per  ton. 

CASTOR  BEAN. 

The  Palma  Christi,  or  Castor  Bean,  grows  luxuriantly.  In 
the  southern  portion  of  the  State  it  is  perennial,  and  attains  the 
size  of  a  small  tree.  It  is  frequently  seen  in  gardens  and  in 
waste  places.  We  do  not  know  that  any  experiments  have 
been  made  in  its  cultivation  as  a  field  crop ;  but  we  deem  it 
worthy  of  attention. 

SILK. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the  breeding  of  Silk 
Worms,  and  production  of  Silk,  in  Florida.  At  one  time  Silk 


growing  received  considerable  attention  at  St.  Augustine.  The 
conditions  for  a  successful  prosecution  of  the  business  seem  pe¬ 
culiarly  favorable.  The  mulberry  is  a  native  of  our  forests. 
Cocoons  of  the  Silk-Worm  are  often  found  upon  them.  The 
climate  is  more  mild  than  that  of  Italy.  There  is  no  reason 
why  this  valuable  staple  should  not  be  largely  produced. 

COFFEE. 

We  know  no  reason  why  Coffee  could  not  be  grown  success¬ 
fully  south  of  the  28th  parallel;  but  we  have  not  been  able  to 
learn  from  any  reliable  source,  that  any  experiments  have  been 
made  in  its  culture.  More  than  forty  years  ago,  a  Philadelphia 
Company  sent  out  an  expedition  to  explore  the  country  and  se¬ 
lect  suitable  spots  for  the  cultivation  of  the  Coffee  plant ;  but 
the  project  was  abandoned,  Congress  refusing  the  grant  of  lands 
required  by  the  Company.  If  our  climate  and  soil  should  be 
found  suitable  for  the  culture  of  Coffee,  it  could  not  fail  to  be¬ 
come,  in  a  few  years,  an  important  staple. 

TEA. 

The  efforts  which  have  been  made  heretofore  to  introduce  the 
culture  of  tea  into  the  United  States,  do  not  seem  to  have  met 
with  the  success  which  had  been  anticipated.  The  soil  of  Mid¬ 
dle  Florida  is  said  to  resemble  in  quality  that  which  is  so  much 
sought  after  in  Assam  by  Tea-growers,  and  its  culture  may  be¬ 
come  an  important  branch  of  industry  at  some  future  day. 

PEAS. 

The  common  English  Pea  is  not  cultivated  as  a  field  crop. 
The  Cow  Pea  is  extensively  grown  and  produces  excellent  crops. 
It  resembles  the  bean  family  in  the  appearance  of  its  foliage  and 
the  manner  of  its  growth.  It  is  common  to  sow  them  between 
the  rows  of  corn  at  the  last  plowing.  They  will  produce  from 
10  to  15  bushels  per  acre,  besides  a  large  amount  of  forage.  On 
account  of  the  luxuriant  growth  of  vine,  on  poor  soils  even,  its 
culture  as  a  green  crop,  to  be  turned  in,  has  been  recommended. 

PEA-NUTS. 

The  Pea-Nut,  Pinder,  Goober  or  Ground-Pea,  as  the  plant  is 
variously  called,  grows  well  on  almost  any  warm,  light  soil. 
The  seed  should  be  planted  early  in  the  spring.  The  after  cul¬ 
tivation  is  simple.  A  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre  is  an  average 
crop.  They  are  worth  $2  50  to  $3  00  per  bushel.  The  nut  pro- 
duces  an  oil,  which  is  said  to  be  equal  to  the  finest  olive  oil. 


35 


RAMIE. 

The'Eamie  plant  has  been  recently  introduced  into  Louisiana. 
It  is  believed  it  will  become  an  important  Southern  staple.  The 
plant  produces  a  fibre  of  fine  quality  and  glossy  whiteness,  which 
is  used  in  manufacturing  cloths,  either  by  itself  or  mixed  with 
silk  or  wool.  It  is  a  hardy  and  vigorous  grower,  and,  in  this 
climate,  perennial.  The  Eamie  belongs  to  the  family  of  Urtica- 
cece^  of  which  the  common  nettle  is  an  example,  and  to  which  the 
hemp  plant  belongs.  It  is  claimed  that  the  fibre  of  the  Eamie 
is  stronger  than  the  best  European  hemp ;  that  it  may  be  spun 
as  fine  as  that  of  flax,  and  that  it  is  doubly  durable;  that  it  will 
produce  from  three  to  five  annual  crops,  each  equal  to  the  best 
gathered  from  hemp. 


ARROW  ROOT. 

The  Koonta,  or  Indian  Arrow-root,  grows  wfild  in  the  south¬ 
ern  portion  of  the  peninsula.  It  was  formerly  manufactured 
quite,  extensively  ;  the  sole  labor  consisting  of  bringing  it  from 
the  forest  lands  and  conveying  it  to  the  mill ;  the  simple  stirring 
occasioned  by  the  digging  being  sufficient  to  secure  a  better 
crop  than  the  one  just  removed. 

The  Bermuda  Arrow-root  also  flourishes,  producing,  even  on 
pine  lands,  from  200  to  300  bushels  per  acre.  The  yield  of 
merchantable  Arrow-root  Flour,  obtained  by  imperfect  mills,  is 
from  six  to  eight  lbs.  to  the  bushel. 

WHEAT,  RYE  AND  OATS. 

Wheat  has  been  grown  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  but 
is  so  uncertain  a  crop  that  it  is  not  cultivated.  Eye  and  Oats 
are  raised  to  some  extent,  chiefly  as  forage  crops.  They  should 
be  sowed  early  in  the  winter.  Unless  the  crop  ripens  before 
warm  weather  comes  on,  very  little  grain  will  be  obtained. 

(2.)  dAEDEN  YEGETABLES. 

Under  this  head  we  shall  notice  the  crops  usually  cultivated 
in  market  gardens,  to  the  production  of  which  the  soil  and  cli¬ 
mate  of  Florida  are  admirably  adapted.  The  growing  of  vege¬ 
tables  for  the  northern  markets  has  not,  until  recently,  received 
any  attention.  In  view  of  the  fact,  however,  that  vegetables 
grown  here  can  be  placed  in  the  markets  of  the  northern  sea¬ 
board  cities  from  a  month  to  six  weeks  earlier  than  from  any 


36 


1 

\ 


other  point,  many  have  been  encouraged  to  experiment,  while 
some  parties  have  engaged  in  the  business  quite  extensively. 
The  chief  difficulty  which  has  been  encountered  is  that  of  trans¬ 
portation.  Mistakes  have  also  been  made  in  picking  too  green 
or  too  ripe ;  and  careful  packing  for  shipment,  has  not  received 
sufficient  attention.  The  delays  incident  to  transhipment  at 
Savannah  or  Charleston,  have  been  such  that  in  several  instances 
shipments  of  Tomatoes  have  become  utterly  worthless  on  reach¬ 
ing  New  York.  This  year,  however,  the  connections  are  closer, 
and  we  do  not  hear  so  much  complaint.  There  is  little  doubt, 
however,  that  before  another  season,  a  line  of  steamers  will  run 
between  Jacksonville  and  New  York.  This  will  save  from  one 
to  two  days  time  on  the  passage,  beside  the  injury  arising  from 
re-shipment.  Direct  steam  communication  will  enable  the  gar¬ 
deners  on  the  St.  Johns  river  to  place  in  the  New  York  market, 
in  good  condition,  and  with  little  risk,  if  properly  packed.  Toma¬ 
toes,  Cucumbers,  Green  Peas,  Snap  Beans,  Melons,  Green  Corn, 
&c.,  &c.,  as  early  in  the  season  as  required,  and  at  a  fair  profit. 
We  have  little  doubt  that  Plorida  will  become,  at  no  distant  day, 
the  early  market  garden  of  all  the  northern  cities.  Another 
year  will  see  the  business  largely  increased.* 

« 

TOMATOES. 

The  Tomato  is  easil})^  cultivated,  and  produces  abundantly. 
If  the  soil  is  not  already  in  good  condition,  fertilizers  should  be 
used.  It  is  bad  policy  to  attempt  to  raise  any  garden  crop  on 
poor  soil.  It  ripens  from  May  to  July.  Early  lots  sell  for 
almost  marvelous  prices  in  New  York — $1,200  has  been  netted 
from  a  single  acre.  Col.  Eodman,  who  has  had  much  experi¬ 
ence  with  this  crop,  says  it  will  yield  from  400  to  500  bushels 
to  the  acre,  in  ordinary  seasons.  By  the  use  of  cold  frames 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  having  ripe  Tomatoes  at  Jack¬ 
sonville  in  March,  and  by  the  aid  of  an  ordinary  hot  bed  they 
could  be  had  during  the  entire  winter.  South  of  Palatka  they 
are  ripened  in  the  open  air  every  month  in  the  year. 

CUCUMBERS. 

In  May  last,  Florida  Cucumbers  were  quoted  at  $10  per 
hundred  in  the  New  York  Market.  At  this  rate  they  would 
be  an  exceedingly  profitable  crop.  The  plant  has  to  contend 

*  Our  statements  as  to  the  time  of  ripening,  &c.,  of  the  various  crops, 
apply  to  the  latitude  of  Jacksonville,  unless  otherwise  stated.  As  far 
south  as  Enterprise,  nearly  all  the  vegetables  cultivated  in  a  market 
garden,  can  be  ripened  any  month  in  the  year. 


37 


with  few  of  the  enemies  which  prove  so  destructive  at  the  North. 
It  is  ready  for  market  about  the  same  time  as  the  Tomato,  and 
bears  shipment  exceedingly  w^ell. 

MELONS. 

There  is  no  country  where  the  Watermelon  attains  greater 
perfection  than  in  Florida,  and  we  might  add,  where  they  can  be 
raised  with  less  care.  The  Muskmelon  and  Cantaleup  also 
flourish.  Melons  and  Cucumbers  should  be  planted  in  March ; 
April  will  do,  however,  for  Melons,  and 'sometimes  is  necessary 
— the  first  plants  being  occasionally  destroyed  by  cold  weather. 
Watermelons  being  bulky,  and  liable  to  injury  from  handling, 
are  not  so  well  adapted  for  shipment  as  Tomatoes  and  Cucum¬ 
bers;  but  thousands  have  been  shipped  the  past  season,  and 
profitably  laid  down  in  New  York.  They  are  abundant  all 
through  June  and  July. 

PEAS. 

Soils  that  contain  some  lime,  quite  rich  and  moderately  moist, 
are  the  best  for  Peas.  The  month  of  January  is  the  best  time 
to  plant.  The  crop  will  then  be  ready  for  market  in  April,  at 
which  season  Green  Peas  command  high  prices  in  New  York. 
They  bear  shipment  well,  and  will  be  found  a  profitable  crop. 

BEANS. 

Beans  of  all  kinds  grow  well,  particularly  the  Lima  Bean, 
which  should  be  planted  early  in  March.  The  Lima  or  Butter 
Bean,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  is  found  in  almost  every  garden. 
Of  its  value  as  a  market  crop  we  .are  unable  to  speak.  Snap 
Beans  are  very  prolific,  and  their  culture  for  shipment  North  is 
worthy  of  attention. 

CABBAGES  AND  TURNIPS. 

Cabbages  succeed  best  in  winter.  Sown  in  the  Fall  they  will 
produce  fine  heads  in  the  Spring  months.  A  rich  and  moist  soil 
is  best  suited  to  this  crop.  Turnips  can  be  had  fresh  nearly 
every  month  in  the  year.  In  the  summer  they  do  not  bottom 
well,  but  are  a  valuable  winter  crop.  Cauliflower,  Brocoli,  and 
Kohl  Babe  are  grown  without  difficulty.  The  latter  is  very 
common  in  our  market. 

BEETS,  &c. 

Beets  do  best  in  a  deep,  rich,  moist  soil.  For  winter  use 
plant  in  September  or  October ;  for  Summer,  in  J anuary  or  F eb- 


0 


38 


( 

ruary.  Carrots  and  Parsnips  should  be  treated  in  the  same 
manner.  None  of  these  crops  produce  as  well  as  at  the  North. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CROPS. 

Nearlyif  not  quite  all  the  vegetables  usually  cultivated  in  a 
good  family  garden  can  be  raised  for  home  use.  Squashes  are 
grown  with  great  ease  and  of  the  best  quality.  Onions  grown 
from  “sets”  seem  to  produce  best.  Lettuce,  Radishes,  Cellery, 

&c.,  &c.,  grow  to  perfection  ;  also  Peppers,  Parsley,  &c.  As¬ 
paragus  and  Rhubarb  succeed  with  the  usual  attention.  The 
Egg  Plant  does  finely.  Okra  is  found  growing  in  every  garden. 

It  is  highly  prized  by  the  old  residents.  The  edible  part  is  the 
green  seed-pods ;  from  these  the  celebrated  gumbo  soup  is  made. 

They  are  also  boiled  and  served  as  Asparagus. 

It  may  be  observed  that  with  proper  care  and  attention,  fresh 
vegetables  may  be  had  for  the  table  every  day  in  the  year.  For 
a  family  to  be  thus  supplied  would  be  desirable,  both  on  the 
score  of  health  and  economy.  In  warm  climates  vegetable  food 
is  more  wholesome  than  animal,  and  we  urge  upon  all  new 
comers  the  importance  of  giving  early  attention  to  the  kitchen 
garden. 


Whatever  opinion  may  be  formed  as  to  the  adaptation  of 
Florida  to  the  successful  cultivation  of  farm  and  garden  crops, 
there  can  be  but  one  opinion  as  to  its  fitness  for  the  growth  of 
tropical  and  semi-tropical  Fruits.  In  this  respect  Florida  en¬ 
joys  a  monopoly  which,  when  fairly  developed,  will  make  her 
one  of  the  richest  and  most  important  of  the  United  States. 
Oranges,  Lemons,  Pine  Apples,  and  various  other  tropical 
Fruits,  will  yield  an  average  profit  of  at  least  one  thousand 
dollars  per  acre  yearly  It  is  the  adaptability  of  the  climate 
to  these  productions,  that  makes  even  the  inferior  lands  of 
Florida  susceptible  of  producing  crops  more  valuable  than 
those  of  the  best  lands  in  other  parts  ol  the  Union.  The  cult¬ 
ure  of  Fruit  in  Florida,  without  doubt,  offers  greater  opportu¬ 
nities  for  practical  and  energetic  Fruit  Growers,  than  in  any 
other  part  of  the  Union.  It  is  the  appreciation  of  this  fact 
that  is  awakening  such  an  interest  in  the  .business,  and  bring¬ 
ing  to  our  shores  large  numbers  from  nearly  every  State.  To 
supply,  as  far  as  possible,  the  general  want  of  information 


f 


39 


upon  the  subject  ol'  Fruit  Culture  in  Florida,  we  have  collated 
the  following  pages,  from  the  materials  in  our  possession,  and 
from  individual  observation. 

ORANGES. 

The  Orange  belongs  to  the  citrus  family,  in  which  arc  inclu¬ 
ded  the  Lemon,  Lime,  Citron,  Shaddock  and  similar  fruits.  The 
varieties  are  numerous.  In  their  native  state  they  continue 
flowering  nearly  all  the  summer,  and  for  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  year.  Every  stage  of  growth,  from  the  flower,  bud, 
ripe  fruit,  can  be  seen  on  the  same  tree.  The  sour  Orange 
and  the  bitter-sweet  grow  wild  upon  the  St.  Johns  and  Indian 
rivers,  and  in  many  other  parts  of  the  peninsula.  A  corres 
pondent  of  the  New  York  Worlds  writing  from  Indian  River, 
says  :  “  In  the  primeval  woods  on  the  banks  are  vast  gardens 

of  the  sour  wild  Orange,  the  juice  of  which  is  acrid  as  vinegar, 
and  when  mixed  with  sugar  and  water  makes  an  excellent 
beverage  that  has  many  tonic  qualities,  that  act  as  a  prevent¬ 
ive  or  cure  to  the  light  fevers  of  the  country.  These  Oranges 
are  to  be  found  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  woods,  and  we  often 
had  to  clear  the  ground  of  vast  quantities  of  the  fruit  before 
we  could  pitch  our  tents.”  The  Orange  is  a  sure  crop.  The 
tree  is  long-lived,  and  has  very  few  enemies.  The  scale  insect, 
{coceus  heoperidum,)  which  first  made  its  appearance  in  1838,  and 
for  a  time  proved  a  formidable  enemy  to  the  Orange  tree, has  near¬ 
ly  or  altogether  disappeared.  North  of  the  30th  deg .  of  latitude, 
except  on  the  St.  Johns  and  Apalachicola  rivers,  the  crop  is 
somewhat  doubtful,  being  liable  to  be  cut  off  by  frost.  Once, 
indeed,  since  the  settlement  of  the  country — in  1835, — the  Or¬ 
ange  and  most  other  fruit  trees  were  destroyed  as  far  south  as 
the  28th  degree  of  latitude.  •  x\t  that  time  there  were  trees 
growing  at  St.  Augustine  more  that  one  hundred  years  old. 

The  Oranges  of  Florida  are  celebrated  for  their  superior 
quality.  At  present  the  best  method  of  establishing  a  grove 
is  to  set  out  the  wild  Orange  trees,  and,  at  the  proper  time, 
bud  it  with  the  sweet  orange.  The  sour  trees  may  be  dug  up 
at  any  time  during  the  winter,  and  transplanted.  They  are 
usually  cut  off  three  to  four  feet  from  the  ground  at  the  time 
of  taking  up.  During  the  summer  months  shoots  large  enough 
to  bud  will  start  out  ;  two  or  three  of  the  best  are  selected, 
and  the  others  rubbed  off.  The  buds  grow  the  first  year.  The 
tree  usually  commences  bearing  the  third  year  from  transplant¬ 
ing.  By  the  fifth  year  a  grove  well  cared  for,  ought  to  average 
100  to  the  tree.  The  trees  should  be  set  20  feet  apart,  which 
gives  about  100  to  the  acre.  Wild  trees  can  be  had  in  Jack¬ 
sonville  at  about  $50  per  hundred.  They  are  brought  from  the 


40 


f<: 


r 

\ 


hummocks  on  the  upper  St.  Johns.  When  the  supply  of  wild 
Orange  trees  is  exhausted,  as  it  will  be,  doubtless,  within  a 
few  years,  resort  to  nursery  stock  will  be  necessary.  But  their 
propagation  is  not  difficult.  Grown  from  the  seed,  at  the  end 
of  three  years  the  trees  will  be  five  to  six  feet  high,  and  an 
inch  or  more  in  diameter.  These  should  be  set  out  in  the  orch¬ 
ard  and  budded,  as  described  for  the  wild  stocks. 

The  Orange  will  grow  upon  almost  any  soil,|but  in  order  to 
secure  good  crops,  a  moderate  degree  of  fertility  is  required. 
There  is  no  place  where  the  tree  does  better  than  upon  the 
shell  hummocks,  indicating  that  lime  is  a  valuable  fertilizer. 
This  can  -easily  be  supplied  in  the  shape  of  marl  or  shells,  in 
any  part  of  the  State.  Swamp  muck  is  also  a  good  manure. 

A  grove  in  full  bearing  should  average  500  to  the  tree. 
Many  trees  will  bear  from  1,000  to  3,000  per  year.  Mr.  C.  F. 
Reed,  of  Mandarin,  raised  12,000  from  three  trees  the  past  year 
— one  tree  bearing  3,200,  one  3,300,  and  one  5,500.  Some  of 
them  weighed  as  high  as  19  ounces.  William  Edwards,  Esq., 
of  Micanopy  has  a  fine  grove  of  72  trjees  in  bearing,  some  of 
which  bear  from  2,000  to  3,000  Oranges  each. 

In  Jacksonville  Oranges  have  sold,  the  past  season,  at  from 
twenty-five  to  sixty  dollars  per  thousand.  Taking  500  as  the 
average  per  tree,  and  100  trees  to  the  acre,  and  we  have  50,000 
Oranges  from  an  acre,  which,  at  forty  dollars  per  thousand, 
which  may  be  taken  as  the  average  price,  will  give  $2,000  ; 
while  at  twenty-five  dollars,  the  lowest  price  at  which  good 
Oranges  were  sold,  we  have  $1,250  as  the  income  from  a  single 
acre.  It  requires  no  great  outlay  of  capital  to  start  an  Orange 
grove,  and  its  care  involves  no  more  labor  than  the  care  of  an 
apple  orchard  of  the  same  size.  We  leave  it  for  parties  inter¬ 
ested  to  calculate  the  profits  arising  from  an  Orange  grove  of 
ten  acres  in  full  bearing.  We  are  quite  sure  that  the  credit 
side  of  the  sheet  will  show  that  the  profit  of  growing  the  Orange 
is  larger  in  proportion  to  the  expenditure  of  money  and  labor, 
than  that  derived  from  the  cultivation  of  any  other  crop  grown 
in  the  United  States.  The  largest  grove  in  the  State  is  situa¬ 
ted  on  the  east  coast,  near  Cape  Carnareval.  It  is  known  as 
Dummit’s  Grove,  from  the  name  of  the  proprietor.  It  contains 
some  1,350  bearing  trees,  which  have  produced,  in  a  single 
year,  700,000  Oranges.  The  soil  is  alight  sandy  loam,  under¬ 
laid  with  a  rotten  limestone.  We  believe  this  is  the  only 
grove  in  the  State  exceeding  1,000  bearing  trees. 

LEMONS,  LIMES, "CITRONS, 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  go  into  detail  regarding  these 
fruits,  since  the  remarks  which  we  have  made  with  regard  to 


I 


41 


the  soil,  climate  and  culture  required  for  the  Orange,  will 
apply  equally  to  them.  The  Lemon  is,  perhaps,  a  trifle  more 
hardy  than  the  Orange.  The  Sicily  Lemon,  budded  on  the  sour 
or  bitter-sweet  Orange,  does  finely.  Last  fall,  R.  B.  Crane, 
Esq.,  of  this  city,  sent  to  a  friend  in  New  York,  some  speci¬ 
mens  of  Oranges  and  Lemons,  as  samples  of  what  Florida  can 
raise  ;  in  the  collection  was  a  small  branch  upon  which  grew 
seven  lemons.  Six  of  these  averaged  13  inches  in  circumfer¬ 
ence,  and  the  whole  weighed  just  seven  pounds.  They  were 
raised  by  M.  I.  Phillips,  Esq.,  two  miles  from  Jacksonville. 

The  Lime  is  a  prolific  bearer,  and  a  most  wholesome  and 
excellent  fruit.  In  south  Florida  the  tree  is  in  bearing  nearly 
the  whole  year.  The  green  fruit  makes  a  fine  preserve.  They 
are  easily  propagated  and  come  into  bearing  early.  Doubtless 
a  good  business  could  be  done  at  raising  them  for  the  juice, 
which  is  an  article  of  commerce. 

The  Citron  grows  on  a  straggling  bush,  which  requires  sup¬ 
port  while  the  fruit  is  ripening.  We  have  seen  them  six  to 
eight  inches  in  diameter,  of  a  rich  yellow  color,  hanging  from 
the  slender  branches,  fitting  emblems  of  the  golden  fruits  of 
autumn.  The  Citron  does  well  wherever  the  Orange  flourishes. 

The  Shaddock  resembles  a  large  Lemon.  It  is  a  coarse 
fruit,  and  of  little  value  except  for  culinary  purposes. 

The  Grape  Fruit  is  similar  to  the  Shaddock. 

All  the  above  can  be  propagated  by  budding,  more  easily 
even,  than  the  Orange. 

PEACHES. 

The  Peach  attains  its  highest  degree  of  perfection  at  the 
South.  The  trees  possess  more  vigor  and  greater  longevity 
than  at  the  North.  But  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  better  varieties,  but  they  seem  to  do  equally 
well  with  the  native  seedlings,  from  which  the  greater  portion 
of  the  fruit  brought  to  our  market  is  produced.  So  well  adapt¬ 
ed  is  the  climate  to  the  growth  of  the  Peach,  that  they  are 
found  growing  wild  by  the  road-sides  and  in  the  corners  of 
the  fences.  With  direct  steam  communication,  there  will  be 
no  difficulty  in  shipping  them  to  New  York,  where  during  the 
months  of  June  and  July  they  would  command  high  prices. 
D.  Redmond,  of  Augusta,  Georgia,  late  editor  of  the  Southern 
Cultivator,  says  :  “  When  the  peach  tree  receives  any  thing 

like  proper  culture,  or  attention  in  our  climate,  it  is  liable  to 
no  diseases  ;  and  is  far  more  thrifty  and  long-lived  than  in 
more  northern  localities.  We  have  no  yellows,  nor  similar 
malady  :  and  all  that  is  necessary  to  keep  the  tree  in  perfect 
health  is  judicious  pruning  (shortening  in)  and  frequent  stir¬ 
ring  of  the  surface  soil  around  it.” 


GRAPES. 


The  South  is  the  true  home  of  the  Grape.  It  is  found  wild 
in  the  forests  of  Florida,  and  growing  luxuriantly.  In  the 
southern  part  of  the  State  three  crops  of  grapes  in  a  year  are 
gathered.  The  Black  Hamburg,  White  Muscat,  Golden  Ches- 
salas,  and  other  foreign  Grapes,  grow  and  fruit  finely  in  the 
open  air.  The  Concord  succeeds  well,  and  is  so  much  improved 
that  it  is  nearly  equal  in  quality  to  the  Slack  Hamburg.  The 
Scuppernong  is  cultivated  more  widely  than  any  other  variety. 
It  makes  a  fine  wine  by  the  addition  of  a  little  sugar;  equal 
to  any  manufactured  in  California,  as  we  have  been  assured 
by  good  judges.  Over  2,000  gallons  have  been  made  from  an 
acre.  But  little  attention  has  been  given  to  vine  culture,  and 
doubtless  varieties  may  be  found  better  adapted  to  our  soil 
and  climate  than  any  of  those  mentioned. 

FIGS. 

Of  all  the  fruits  cultivated  in  the  South,  says  a  distinguished 
horticulturist,  the  Fig  requires  the  least  care,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  productive  and  useful.  It  is  propagated  readily  from 
cuttings,  which  usually  bear  the  second  year.  During  the 
summer  months  the  Fig  may  be  found  upon  the  breakfast  ta¬ 
bles  of  all  lovers  of  fine  fruit.  When  ripe  it  is  mild,  rich  and 
luscious,  without  being  cloying  even  to  those  of  the  most  del¬ 
icate  appetite.  Being  very  perishable,  it  is  valuable  only  for 
the  home  market.  The  dampness  of  the  climate  does  not  ad¬ 
mit  of  its  being  put  up  like  the  figs  of  commerce.  This  diffi¬ 
culty  may  doubtless  be  overcome  by  artificial  means,  and 
would  make  the  Fig  an  article  of  great  commercial  value  to 
the  State.  A  moist  and  fertile  soil  is  best  suited  to  the  fig;  but 
it  grows  readily  in  almost  any  location.  Every  one  in  Florida 
who  owns  a  foot  of  land  may  literally  “  sit  under  his  own  vine 
and  fig  tree.” 

POMEGRANATES. 

The  Pomegranate  is  common  in  Florida.  There  are  the  sweet 
and  sour  varieties.  The  bush  is  a  pretty  ornamental  shrub, 
and  with  its  beautiful  blossoms  and  pendant  fruit  is  decidedly 
ornamental.  The  rind  is  very  bitter,  and  has  been  used  as  a 
substitute  for  Peruvian  bark ;  but  the  juice,  which  is  contained 
in  little  sacks  surrounding  the  seeds,  is  a  pleasant  acid,  and 
quite  agreeable. 

APPLES,  PEARS,  AND  QUINCES. 

These  fruits  have  been  cultivated  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State,  but  we  cannot  recommend  them  as  worthy  of  general 


43 


attention.  There  are  instances  of  the  Pear  having  been  grafted 
on  the  wild  Hawthorn  with  good  results.  The  Quince,  too, 
may  succeed  moderately  well  under  favorable  circumstances. 

PLUMS,  CHERRIES, 

The  Plum  grows  wild  all  over  the  State,  and  some  of  the 
varieties  are  scarcely  inferior  to  many  of  the  cultivated  sorts. 
The  tree  is  not  subject  to  ‘‘  black  knot,”  or  other  serious  mala¬ 
dies.  Doubtless  the  better  varieties  can  be  successfully  worked 
on  the  wild  stocks.  The  Cherry  does  not  succeed  well ;  the 
Currant,  also,  has  been  reluctantly  discarded.  Apricots  and 
nectarines  succeed  cjuite  as  Avell  as  the  Peach. 

BERRIES. 

There  is  no  place  where  the  Blackberry  is  more  perfectly  at 
home,  than  in  Florida.  The  running  variety,  or  Dewberry, 
commences  ripening  early  in  April  and  continues  in  bearing  till 
May,  when  the  high  Blackbeny  comes  on,  and  continues  in 
bearing  until  July.  The  Lawton  was  fruited  by  Dr.  Sanborn 
last  year.  He  says :  “It  did  well,  but  needs  moist  ground.” 
The  Huchleberry  grows  everywhere,  and  is  plenty  in  market 
during  the  month  of  May.  The  Strcmherrij  is  easily  cultivated 
and  bears  abundant  crops.  It  requires  a  moist  and  fertile  soil. 
The  fruit  commences  ripening  in  March,  and  the  vines,  if  freely 
watered,  will  continue  in  bearing  for  six  months.  Wilson’s 
Albany  is,  perhaps,  the  best  variety  for  this  latitude.  Hovey’s 
Seedling  also  does  well.  The  Mulberry  grows  wild,  and  bears 
two  crops  in  a  year.  The  northern  Gooseberry  and  Cranberry 
do  not  succeed. 

THE  OLIVE. 

The  Olive  has  been  successfully  cultivated,  and  is  deserving 
attention.  Trees  grown  from  the  seed  commence  bearing  the 
tenth  year,  and  are  fully  productive  about  the  twentieth  or 
twenty-fifth. 

THE  BANANA  AND  PlNE-ArPLE. 

In  all  the  southern  portion  of  the  Peninsula  the  Banana  does 
finely.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  they  require  protec¬ 
tion  in  winter.  The  Pine-apple  also  succeeds  admirably  in 
South  Florida.  It  and  the  Banana  are  raised  from  suckers, 
which  come  into  bearing  about  eighteen  months  after  being 
planted.  The  stalks  die  after  fruiting,, and  give  place  to  suck- 


44 


ers  which  spring  up  around  the  parent  stock.  The  Banana 
grows  to  the  height  of  ten  feet ;  the  Pine-apple  to  a  height  of 
about  three  feet. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Of  strictly  tropical  fruits,  that  are  worthy  of  attention,  in 
addition  to  those  above  noticed,  may  be  mentioned  the  Guava, 
Sappadillo,  Sugar-apple,  Tamarind,  Alligator  Pear,  Pawpaw 
Plantain,  Cocoa-nut,  and  perhaps  the  Date.  All  the  above  we 
have  seen  growing  luxuriantly  in  South  Florida.  The  Cocoa- 
nut  is  a  large  tree,  rising  above  all  the  other  trees  of  the  forest. 
The  fruit  is  ripening  the  year  round.  The  Pecan-nut  can  be 
raised  without  difficulty,  and  probably  the  Almond. 

There  is  a  broad  field  for  experiment  in  connection  with  the 
productions  of  Florida.  She  is  still  a  “  terra  incognita,”  to  a 
great  extent.  Her  capacities  are  comparatively  untested  and 
unknown.  They  await  the  hand  of  industry,  enterprise  and 
skill  to  develop  them,  and  to  make  the  “  land  of  flowers  ”  not 
only  the  most  salubrious,  but  in  the  variety  and  value  of  its 
productions,  the  most  wealthy  portion  of  the  Union. 


w  MISCELLANEOUS. 

STOCK, 

On  much  even  of  the  poorer  land  in  the  State  is  to  be  found 
a  large  growth  of  Oaks,  scattered  amon^  the  Pines,  which  fur¬ 
nishes  abundance  of  most,  on  which,  in  the  genial  climate  of 
Florida,  with  little  care  or  protection,  hogs  can  be  raised  ad 
libitum.  They  are  to  found  everywhere,  throughout  the  for¬ 
ests  of  the  whole  peninsula,  half-wild  and  in  good  condition, 
finding  easily  an  independent  support.  Kept,  or  rather  un¬ 
kept,  as  they  are,  they  are  a  nuisance  ;  but  the  fencing  in  of  a 
sufficient  range,”  and  the  occasional  distribution  of  a  little 
feed,  would  enable  a  farmer  to  raise  hogs  enough  to  furnish  a 
considerable  revenue. 

The  whole  territory  is  likewise  covered  with  a  more  or  less 
thick  coat  of  divers  Avild  grasses,  which  retain  their  greenness 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent  throughout  the  year.  Cattle  maintain 
themselves  in  good  condition  entirely  without  care.  In  the 
southern  portion  of  the  peninsula,  are  found  large  moist  prai¬ 
ries,  called  savannahs,  covered  with  tall  grasses,  which  afford 
very  good  nutriment  to  cattle.  Upon  them  large  herds  of  cat¬ 
tle  pasture,  which  are  driven  up  occasionally  by  their  owners ; 


45 


the  beeves  selected  out,  and  the  calves  marked.  Capt.  McKay, 
of  Tampa,  has  been  engaged  in  the  cattle  trade  for  a  number 
of  years,  running  a  line  of  steamers  to  Cuba  two  to  three  times 
a  month,  loaded  with  Florida  beeves.  During  the  war  the 
Confederate  authorities  drew  large  supplies  of  beef  from  Flori¬ 
da.  Some  of  the  heavy  cattle  men  own  as  many  as  25,000 
head,  and  have  made  fortunes  out  of  the  business. 

Sheep  also  do  well  in  Florida.  It  is  doubtful  if  as  fine  a 
quality  of  wool  could  be  raised,  as  far  north  ;  but  the  mutton 
is  of  a  superior  quality. 


TIMBER  AND  LUMBER. 

Florida  is,  beyond  question,  the  best  timbered  State  in  the 
Union.  Out  of  about  38,000,000  acres,  only  some  3,000,000  is 
included  in  farms,  and  of  the  rest  nineteen-twentieths,  exclu¬ 
sive  of  the  area  covered  by  rivers  and  lakes,  is  covered  with 
heavy  forests.  On  all  the  least  moist  and  more  level  portions 
the  Pine  is  the  prevalent  forest  tree, — either  the  yellow  or  the 
pitch  Pine.  It  grows  with  great  beauty,  and  attains  a  large 
size,  furnishing  some  of  the  handsomest  Pine  Lumber  to  be 
found  in  the  markets  of  the  world.  The  extent  of  the  Pine 
lands  and  the  possible  amount  of  Lumber  that  could  be  manu¬ 
factured,  would  be  almost  incredible  to  one  who  has  never  vis¬ 
ited  Florida.  There  are  probably  more  than  30,000  square 
miles  of  heavy  Pine  forest  within  the  limits  of  the  State. 

In  the  moister  lands,  along  the  rivers  and  creeks  and  on  the 
margins  and  swamps,  an  almost  infinite  variety  of  trees  is  to  be 
found,  of  which  the  more  valuable  for  timber  and  lumber  are 
Live  Oak,  White  Oak,  the  Hickory  the  Ash,  the  Birch,  the 
Cedar,  the  Magnolia,  the  Sweet  Bay,  and  the  C}q)ress.  Of  all 
these  varieties  a  great  abundance  is  to  be  found  throughout 
the  State.  Of  Pine  of  the  best  quality,  of  Cedar  and  C}'press 
in  particular,  the  supply  for  any  pur]:>oses  of  manufacture, 
may  well  be  said  to  be  inexhaustible.  The  larger  proportion 
of  what  has  loosely  been  called  swamp  in  Florida,  is  simply 
low  hummock,  with  a  soil  of  inexhaustible  fertility,  and  cover¬ 
ed  with  a  dense  growth  of  mainly  C}q)ress,  Magnolia  and 
Sweet  Bay.  The  timber  of  the  C3rpress  more  nearly  resembles 
that  of  the  northern  Basswood  than  any  thing  else.  It  is  not 
quite  as  close-grained,  perhaps,  but  it  is  about  the  same  weight 
and  toughness,  and  is  fully  as  easily  worked,  and  can  be  used 
nearly  as  well  for  all  the  pui’poses  to  wLich  Basswood  is  appli¬ 
ed.  It  is  more  easily  split  than  Basswood ;  but  it  is,  with  that 
exception,  as  susceptible  of  being  wai’ped  and  bent  into  desira¬ 
ble  shapes.  For  clothes-pins,  for  fork  and  rake  and  broom 


4C 


handles,  and  for  pails  and  tubs,  C}’press  furnishes  an  excellent 
material ;  while  the  red  Cedar  of  the  coast  and  swamps  and 
rivers,  would  yield  the  best  known  material  for  the  pails  and 
tubs  of  a  nicer  and  more  costly  description. 

The  timber  of  the  Magnolia  also  is  susceptible  of  a  variety  of 
uses ;  similar  to  Basswood  in  color  and  fineness  of  grain  it  can 
be  brought  to  a  fine  polish,  and  is  already  being  used  for  the 
nicer  and  finer  kinds  of  wheelwright  and  cabinet  work.  Of 
this  timber  the  supply  is  very  large. 

The  wood  of  the  Eed  or  Sweet  Bay,  in  fineness  of  texture  and 
in  its  other  valuable  qualities,  stands  next  to  Mahogany,  and 
will,  ere  long,  be  in  demand  for  cabinet  work  ;  it  abounds  in 
the  State. 

The  resources  of  Florida,  in  the  direction  of  the  manufacture 
of  wooden  ware,  and  of  tools  of  all  descriptions  made  from 
wood,  have  not  only  as  yet  never  been  developed,  but  have 
hardly  been  suspected.  If  an  inexhaustible  abundance  of  ma¬ 
terial,  at  the  cheapest  possible  rates,  and  very  great  accessibility 
by  water  communication,  are  of  any  value  and  importance  in 
promoting  the  success  of  wooden  manufacture,  then  this  bids 
fair  to  become  a  leading  industrial  pursuit  in  this  State. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  business  of  manufactur¬ 
ing  Lumber  was  overdone,  and  was  engaged  in  by  many  un¬ 
accustomed  to  the  work,  consequently  failure  of  course  occur- 
ed,  and  many  mills  stand  idle.  WhoeA'er  shall  purchase  these 
mills  and  convert  them  first  into  manufactories  of  wooden 
ware  will  have  an  excellent  prospect  of  a  large  and  lucrative 
business. 


NAVAL  STORES. 

The  extensive  Pine  forests  of  Florida  already  furnish  em¬ 
ployment  to  a  large  number  engaged  in  the  production  of 
Naval  Stores.  In  18G6  over  $100,000  worth  of  Spirits  of  Tur^ 
pentine  was  manufactured ;  also,  large  quantities  of  Rosin. 
The  trees  in  Florida  have  a  much  longer  running  season  than 
those  of  North  or  South  Carolina.  They  are  boxed  in  the  win¬ 
ter.  On  the  approach  of  warm  Aveather  they  commence  run¬ 
ning,  and  continue  until  cold  Aveather  in  the  fall.  The  crude 
turpentine  AA'hich  collects  in  the  boxes  is  remoA'ed  every  month. 
It  is  Avorth  about  75cts.  per  cAvt.,  Avherever  there  is  a  still.  One 
liand  Avill  take  care  of  12,000  boxes,  Avhich  Avill  yield  50  bbls. 
of  spjri.ts  of  Turpentine,  and  200  bbls.  of  Rosin  in  a  good  sea¬ 
son.  Rain  or  Avater  transportation  should  be  near  at  hand,  as 
freight  is  an  important  item.  The  business  lias  been  yearly 
increasing,  and  has  been  remunerative. 


47 


f 


GAME  AND  FISH. 

The  great  abundance  of  Oysters,  Fish  and  Game  to  be  found 
in  the  greater  portion  of  the  State,  form  an  inducement  ol' 
force  with  many,  both  on  the  ground  of  business  and  economy, 
as  well  as  on  account  of  the  opportunity  afforded  to  sportsmen. 
Every  where  on  the  coast,  both  of  the  Ocean  and  the  Gulf, 
excellent  Oysters  abound.  The  Oysters  of  St.  Andrews 
Bay  are  celebrated  through  the  South,  and'  those  of  Indian 
River  are  larger,  finer  and  still  more  abundant.  And  off  more 
than  half  the  Florida  coast.  Turtle  in  immense  quantities  and 
of  great  size,  are  continually  taken  ;  but  the  capacity  of  these 
waters  for  Oysters  and  Turtle  is  almost  inexhaustible. 

Fish,  too,  of  the  best  quality,  is  to  be  found  on  all  the  coasts 
and  in  all  the  lakes  and  rivers,  forming  a  cheap,  easily  attaina¬ 
ble  and  very  wholesome  article  of  diet,  and  giving  opportunity 
for  business  in  this  direction  to  almost  any  extent.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  the  bays  and  inlets,  as  well  as  rivers  of 
Florida  swarm  with  valuable  fish — Mullet,  Bass,  Sheeps-head, 
Trout — salt-water  and  fresh,  and  innumerable  other  varieties, 
abound ;  and  latterly  it  has  been  discovered  that  very  valuable 
Shad  Fisheries  may  be  carried  on  in  various  localities. 

Turkeys,  Duck,  Squirrels,  Deer  and  Bear  are  to  be  found 
throughout  the  State,  and  perhaps  no  part  of  the  United  States 
can  furnish  a  more  exciting  or  agreeable  winter  hunting  ground 
than  Indian  River  and  the  Gulf  coast. 

While  the  larger  portions  of  the  North  and  West  are  covered 
with  snow,  and  the  frost  holds  absolute  and  iron  sway,  the 
hunter  in  the  Indian  River  region,  may  comfortably  camp  out, 
month  after  month,  with  a  single  blanket,  taking  as  he  needs 
his  Sweet  Potatoes  from  the  ground,  and  the  Orange,  Lemon 
and  Banana  from  the  plantations  along  the  route,  and  in  the 
contiuous  sunshine  of  an  unending  Spring,  surfeit  himself  with 
the  pursuit  of  game. 

The  gathering  of  Sponge,  and  the  taking  and  preservation 
of  Fish,  Game  and  Turtle  for  the  northern  market,  pursued 
somewhat  in  the  past,  are  bound  in  the  future  to  furnish  lu¬ 
crative  occupation  to  the  labor  and  enterprise  of  multitudes. 

Key  West  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Sponge  business.  Large 
quantities  are  annually  gathered  in  the  shallow  waters  along 
the  coast:  The  Key  West  Dispatch  says  that  over  four  thou¬ 
sand  dollars  worth  of  Sponge  have  been  shipped  from  that 
port  within  the  last  two  months.  These  shipments  do  not  in¬ 
clude  the  finer  quality,  known  as  the  sheep-wool,  but  are  con¬ 
fined  to  the  grass  and  glove  Sponges  alone.  The  recent  impe¬ 
tus  to  this  business  gives  employment  to  two  hundred  men  and 
boys,  thus  affording  those  fond  of  ‘^sponging”  an  opportunity 
of  engaging  in  it  in  a  profitable  way. 


i 


7 


48 


SALT. 

The  Manufacture  of  Salt  was  carried  on  all  along  the  coast 
during  the  war,  and  to  some  extent  at  the  present  time.  The 
late  Wm.  C.  Dennis,  Esq.,  of  Key  West,  had  just  completed  at 
the  commencement  of  the  war,  extensive  Salt  Works  on  the 
Island  of  Key  West,  for  the  manufacture  of  Salt  by  solar  evap¬ 
oration.  Mr.  Dennis  had  given  much  attention  to  the  subject, 
and  was  confident  of  success,  but  the  war  coming  on  the  busi¬ 
ness  was  abandoned.  The  water  of  the  Gulf  is  said  to  be  salter 
than  that  of  the  Atlantic,  and  all  along  the  coast  are  excellent 
locations  for  extensive  Salt  Works. 


&EIEEAL  IIEOEIATIOI. 


HOW  TO  GO  ;  AND  THE  EXPENSE. 

The  usual,  and  perhaps  the  cheapest,  and  upon  the  whole 
the  most  comfortable  route  to  Florida,  is  by  Steamer  from  New 
York,  direct  to  Fernandina  or  to  Savannah,  and  thence  to 
Jacksonville.  Settlers  coming  by  this  route,  can  forward  their 
heavy  baggage  and  household  furniture  by  sailing  vessel  from 
New  York,  or  Boston,  or  Philadelphia. 

Another  route  is  by  Railroad,  via  Washington  and  Richmond 
to  Charleston  or  Savannah,  and  thence  by  Steamer  to  Jack¬ 
sonville  ;  or  by  Railroad  the  whole  distance.  The  latter  is  most 
rapid,  but  least  uncomfortable  and  most  expensive.  By  Steam¬ 
er,  the  expense  from  New  York  is  from  $35  to  $40,  and  by  the 
all-railroad  route  would  probably  be  $50.  These  routes  requii-e 
from  three  to  five  days. 

A  cheaper  route  would  be  !)y  sailing  vessel  from  any  of  several 
of  the  northern  ports,  from  which  vessels  are  frequently  clearing 
for  Florida,  seeking  freights  of  lumber.  Many  of  the  vessels 
are  neat  and  roomy,  and  easily  could,  and  if  required  undoubt¬ 
edly  would,  afford  very  comfortable  accommodation  for  passen¬ 
gers.  The  expense  by  this  route  would  be  much  less  than  by 
any  other,  and  passengers,  at  little  cost,  could  bring  with  them 
their  household  goods  and  furniture,  and  the  thousand  articles 
of  comfort  that  are  as  desiraljle  as  they  are  ex])ensive  to  replace. 
A  passage  thus  by  sailing  vessel,  would  require,  upon  an  aver¬ 
age,  some  ten  days,  although  within  tlie  past  season,  vessels 
have  made  the  passage  by  sail  from  New  York  in  five  days. 
The  accessibilitv  of  Florida  bv  such  a  varietv  of  routes  is  not 

4  * 


49 


the  least  recommendation  she  can  offer  to  those  proposing  to 
change  their  location. 

WHEN  IS  IT  BEST  TO  START  ? 

As  far  as  the  mere  question  of  preparing  for  business,  wheth¬ 
er  agricultural  or  other,  or  of  engaging  in  it  is  concerned,  an 
arrival  at  any  time  within  three  months  after  September  1st  is 
well-enough  timed,  but  on  account  of  health  and  comfort,  the 
immigrant  may  as  well  so  time  his  departure,  as  to  arrive  in 
October,  November  or  December. 

Thus  he  will  escape  the  severe  weather  of  the  most  uncom¬ 
fortable  season  of  the  year,  and  will  have  opportunity  for  par¬ 
tial  acclimation  during  the  season  which  is  most  favorable  to 
health  here.  The  continuous  warm  weather  of  June,  July  and 
August  is  somewhat  trying  to  the  vigor  even  of  long  residents, 
and  would  be  much  more  so  to  new  comers.  Any  predisposi¬ 
tion  to  fever  or  bilious  complaints  generally,  would  be  aggra¬ 
vated  by  an  arrival  before  the  1st  of  September,  and  in  any 
event,  it  would  be  more  prudent  to  avoid  any  such  danger. 

Again,  if  one  is  disposed  to  settle  upon  new  land,  time  will 
thus  be  given  to  clear  and  prepare  for  a  summer  crop  whatever 
land  is  desired ;  while  if  the  settler  prefers  to  purchase  an  im¬ 
proved  farm,  he  will  then  be  in  season  to  put  in  a  winter  crop 
of  vegetables  or  grain,  or  to  establish  his  vineyard  or  fruit  or¬ 
chard,  as  he  chooses. 

MEANS  OF  INTERNAL  COMMUNICATION. 

Owing  to  the  same  cause  before  referred  to,  viz :  the  want  of 
a  stable  and  long-continued  government ;  and  also  on  account 
of  the  sparseness  of  the  population,  Florida  is  not  well  provided 
with  roads  and  other  artificial  facilities  for  internal  communi¬ 
cation.  Post  Routes  are  not  numerous,  and  roads  are  hardly 
worthy  of  the  name,  and  few  at  that.  Luckily,  a  very  large 
proportion  of  the  Pine  land  being  burned  over  to  renew  the 
grass,  is  nearly  destitute  of  underbrush,  and  therefore  presents 
little  obstruction  to  travelling  on  horse-back. 

This  difficulty  of  communication  over  land  is  enhanced  by 
the  almost  entire  lack  of  any  public  means  of  conveyance,  so 
that  the  traveller  is  compelled  to  rely  upon  his  own  resources 
in  great  measure. 

But  the  abundance  of  lakes  and  navigable  rivers  relieves 
large  portions  of  the  State  by  furnishing  frequent  opportuni¬ 
ties  of  journeying  by  boat.  The  Apalachicola  and  the  St.  J ohns 
and  Indian  Rivers,  with  their  numerous  tributaries,  give  the 
means  of  very  extensive  and  very  convenient  intercommunica- 


50 


tion  by  boat.  A  journey  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  to 
the  extreme  southern  point  on  Indian  River,  only  involves  the 
necessity  of  a  very  short  portage  by  land,  from  Salt  Lake  to 
Saced  Point,  and  a  few  insignificant  “  haul-overs,”  as  they  are 
called ;  and  one  can  make  his  way  to  the  very  centre  of  the 
State  by  boating  up  the  Ocklawahee  and  its  connections  with 
numerous  lakes. 

Steamers  run  regularly  on  the  St.  Johns,  the  Ocklawahee 
and  the  Apalachicola.  Steamers  also  touch  at  regular  inter- 
'  vals  along  the  w'hole  western  coast,  from  Pensacola  to  Key 
West. 

Railroad  communication  is  effected,  by  daily  trips  by  car  from 
Jacksonville  to  Savannah,  and  Quincy,  Tallahassee,  and  Fernan- 
dina ;  and  from  Cedar  Keys  semi-weekly.  The  Railroad  from 
Jacksonville  westward  is  already  projected  to  Pensacola,  and  will 
soon  be  completed  to  the  Apalachicola  River.  Other  Railroads 
are  in  contemplation  by  different  routes  through  several  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  State,  and  such  is  the  face  of  the  country,  and  the 
abundance  of  timber,  and  the  agricultural  richness  and  capacity 
of  the  State,  that  under  circumstances  of  a  favorable  character, 
a  very  great  improvement  in  the  means  and  facilities  of  inter¬ 
nal  intercommunication,  within  as  hort  period,  may  be  counted 
upon  with  certainty. 

As  will  appear  elsewhere  in  this  pamphlet,  the  State  is  pe¬ 
culiarly  adapted  to  the  raising  of  various  vegetable  crops,  with 
a  certainty  of  great  profit,  as  the  character  of  climate  will  ena¬ 
ble  the  producers  to  reach  sufficient  markets  at  the  Korth  so 
early  as  to  defy  competition.  And  the  consummation  of  the 
hopes  and  "wishes  of  the  producers  of  these  crops  only  requires 
sufficiently  frequent  and  direct  communication  with  the  great 
cities  of  the  North. 

A  line  of  staunch  sea-going  steamers  direct  from  New  York 
to  Fernandina  has  been  established  during  the  past  season, 
and  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  the  results  of  the  exten¬ 
sive  experiments  in  the  raising  of  vegetables  in  the  valley  of 
the  St.  Johns,  that  have  been  carried  on  during  the  present 
season,  will  very  soon  secure  the  establishment  and  support  of 
direct  steam  communication  between  the  St.  Johns  region  and 
New  York,  which,  more  than  any  other  single  arrangement, 
will  make  the  future  of  Florida  a  certaintv. 

PRICES  OF  LANDS. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  satisfactory  replies  to  the  many  ques¬ 
tions  in  reference  to  the  price  of  lands.  In  fact  land  is  from 
fifty  cents  to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  There  are  in  the  ' 
State,  probably,  18,000,000  acres  of  U.  S.  Government  lands, 
all  of  which  are  open  to  entry  under  the  homestead  law.  While 


51 


the  best  of  these  lands  and  those  most  accessible  have  already 
been  entered,  there  is  still  an  immense  amount  of  very  good 
land  upon  which  settlers  can  effect  entries  for  homesteads. 

There  is  also  a  large  amount,  probably  more  that  0,000,000 
acres  of  land,  belonging  to  the  State,  which  is  open  to  purchase 
at  from  fifty  cents  to  five  dollars  per  acre.  Of  this,  also,  only 
the  less  accessible  and  that  of  least  intrinsic  value  is  in  the 
market.  Here,  as  in  the  other  sections  of  the  country,  the  value 
of  land  in  the  market  depends  upon  its  vicinity  to  the  villages 
and  cities,  and  upon  its  facilities  for  communication,  as  much 
as  upon  its  intrinsic  w'orth.  Plantations  that  are  partially 
cleared  and  having  some  improvements,  such  as  buildings  an3 
fences,  are  worth  from  $3  to  $10  per  acre.  Along  the  St.  Johns 
improved  lands,  especially  those  in  the  vicinity  of  Jacksonville 
and  Palatka,  are  much  higher.  Lands  having  Orange  gi’oves 
in  bearing,  while  estimated  at  from  $50  to  $150  per  acre,  but 
are  scarcely  to  be  bought  at  any  price. 

Average  Pine  land,  somewhat  removed  from  the  settle¬ 
ments,  can  be  purchased  in  small  lots  at  not  unreasonable 
prices,  and  in  large  lots  can  be  had  at  a  very  cheap  rate.  Col¬ 
onies  of  immigrants  by  combination,  could  thus  buy  homes  for 
all  at  a  slight  expenditure. 

The  value  land,  of  all  kinds,  is  rapidly  increasing  in  the 
more  desirable  portions  of  East  Florida,  and  the  confident  ex¬ 
pectation  of  immediate  reconstruction  under  the  new  Consti¬ 
tution,  will  add  rapidly  to  the  enhancement  of  prices. 

Much  of  the  choicest  land  in  the  State, — that  wdiich  w^as  se¬ 
lected  years  ago  by  men  most  familiar  with  the  quality  of  land, 
has  for  many  years  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  original 
grantees  of  the  Spanish  and  English  Governments,  or  their 
heirs.  These  grants  w'ere,  many  of  them,  of  enormous  extent. 
A  vicious  and  unequal  system  of  taxation,  loosely  administered, 
has  hitherto  favored  this  long-continued  sequestration  of  the 
more  valuable  lands.  Belonging  to  non-resident  parties,  diffi¬ 
cult  of  access  and  never  fairly  assessed,  they  have  measurably 
escaped  taxation  on  that  account.  They  have  constituted  a 
practical  land  monopoly  of  the  w'orst  description,  and  have 
operated  largely  to  obstruct  the  settlement  of  the  immense 
territory  of  tlie  State. 

But  the  new  Constitution,  adopting  an  equitable  and  im¬ 
partial  system  of  taxation,  by  wdiich  the  burdens  of  the  State 
Government  will  be  equally  borne  by  all  the  property  of  the 
State,  wall,  in  its  just  and  legitimate  operation,  very  soon  com¬ 
pel  a  fair  valuation  and  taxation  of  all  these  immense  vacant 
and  unproductive  tracts,  and  thus  they  will  come  into  market, 
and  make  possible  the  rapid  development  of  the  agricultural 
resources  of  the  State. 


52 


Generally,  it  may  be  said  that  the  price  of  land  need  be  no 
obstacle  to  deter  the  immigration  of  any — an  abundance  of 
good  land  can  be  had  at  reasonable  prices. 

BUILDINGS,  THEIR  CHARACTER  AND  EXPENSE. 

As  is  true  of  all  other  newly  settled  regions,  the  customs 
and  fashions  prevalent  at  large,  do  not  require  as  expensive  a 
style  of  dwelling  houses  or  places  of  business,  as  in  older-settled 
sections,  and  in  consequence  of  this,  as  well  as  on  account  of 
the  mildness  of  the  climate,  the  strong,  tight,  and  expensive 
houses  of  the  North  would  be  not  only  not  needed,  hut  w^ould 
in  fact  be  out  of  character. 

A  man  who  would  feel  constrained,  in  order  to  sustain  a 
character  for  respectability  as  a  reputable  farmer  at  the  North, 
and  indeed  in  order  to  make  his  family  comfortable  during  the 
rigorous  winters  there,  to  expend  from  $1,500  to  $2,500  for  a 
farm  dwelling-house,  would  not  require,  and  indeed  would  not 
think  of  expending  more  than  $500  to  $1,200  for  a  dwelling- 
house  in  Florida. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  the  dwelling-houses  in  Florida, 
not  only  on  the  farms  and  plantations,  but  in  the  towns  and 
villages,  are  built  by  covering  a  frame  with  a  weather-boarding 
of  common  boards,  nailed  on  vertically  and  then  battened, 
while  the  inner  partitions  are  made  in  the  same  way,  or  lathed 
and  plastered,  as  the  occupant  chooses.  And  these  simple 
houses,  neatly  white-washed,  with  their  invariable  roomy  piaz¬ 
zas,  so  entirely  indispensable  in  this  climate,  and  looking  out 
through  the  dark  shade  of  the  oak,  the  magnolia,  the  oliander 
or  the  china  tree,  are  not  only  pleasant  to  the  eye,  but  tho¬ 
roughly  comfortable  and  sufficient  for  ample  protection  against 
the  severest  weather  ever  known  here. 

One  peculiarity  of  the  dwelling-houses  in  Florida,  that  at¬ 
tracts  the  attention  of  all  strangers,  is  that  they  are  destitute 
entirely  of  cellars.  The  houses  are  built  upon  wooden  posts  or 
brick  pillars,  standing  elevated  some  tw'o  to  four  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  and  thus  giving  ample  opportunity  foi- 
that  thorough  ventilation  which  is  essential  to  health  and 
comfort.  Occasionally  a  small  cellar  can  be  found,  but  the}’ 
are  very  rare.  Thus  the  settler  is  relieved  from  a  heavy  item 
in  the  necessary  expense  of  building  a  house  at  tlie  Nortli. 

COST  OF  CLEARING  LAND. 

The  cost  of  clearing  land  varies  as  much  as  the  j)rice  of 
land.  What  are  called  “  Low  Hummock  ”  lands  are  exceeding  ' 
rich,  and  while  they  give  when  cleared,  a  soil  of  great  depth 
and  of  inexhaustible  fertility,  they  are  covered  with  the  densest 
conceivable  groTvth  of  trees,  shrubs  and  plants.  The  trees  are 


53 


large  and  stand  thickly  together,  and  with  the  undergrowth 
form  an  almost  impenetrable  mass  of  vegetable  growth.  To 
clear  thoroughly  such  land  requires  much  labor,  of  course. 
Probably  the  strong,  thick,  low  hummock”  will  cost  in  clear¬ 
ing,  from  $20  to  $40  per  acre. 

The  pine  lands  are  more  easily  cleared.  The  trees  often 
stand  at  some  distance  from  each  other,  and  a  common  prepar¬ 
ation  of  these  lands,  for  cultivation,  is  made  by  girdling  the 
trees  and  cutting  out  the  undergrowth.  The  year  after  gird¬ 
ling,  the  tops  of  the  trees  are  dead  and  offer  no  impediment  to 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  a  crop  may  be  planted,  the  trunks 
remaining  to  be  removed  at  leisure.  These  lands  can  be  clear¬ 
ed  at  slight  expense,  costing  from  $4  to  $10  per  acre. 

Excepting  the  treeless  Western  Prairies,  there  are  no  lands 
of  average  fertility*in  the  whole  country  that  can  more  easily, 
cheaply  and  rapidly  be  prepared  for  crops,  than  the  pine  lands 
of  Florida.  A  new  comer,  arriving  in  September  or  October, 
can  with  little  expenditure,  within  twelve  months  transform  a 
piece  of  wood  tract  into  a  field  waving  with  a  various  and  val¬ 
uable  harvest. 

WAGES  OF  LABOR. 

There  is  a  scarcity  of  field  labor,  in  some  parts  of  the  State, 
particularly  the  more  remote,  on  account  of  the  strong  disposi¬ 
tion  of  the  Freedmen,  who  constitute  so  large  an  element  of 
the  field  laborers,  to  gather  together  and  in  the  immediate  vi¬ 
cinity  of  the  larger  towns.  Still,  proprietors  that  deal  kindly 
and  honorably  with  their  help,  are  seldom  at  a  loss  for  such 
help  as  they  need. 

The  ordinary  method  in  the  employment  of  field  hands  is  to 
hire  by  the  month,  giving  a  certain  agreed  price  per  month, 
and  adding  the  usual  rations ;  and  the  rate  of  wages  per  month 
has  been,  during  the  current  year,  from  $10  to  $18,  with  ra¬ 
tions  ;  which  are  estimated  to  be  worth  $6  per  month  addi¬ 
tional.  Field  and  other  manual  labor,  by  the  day,  has  been 
worth  from  7oc.  to  $1.50. 

Skilled  labor  of  mechanics  of  all  kinds  is  in  demand  at  a  fair 
compensation,  say  from  $2  to  $3.50  per  day.  J ob-work,  by 
all  kinds  of  mechanics,  is  charged  at  a  much  higher  rate  com¬ 
paratively. 

The  State  is  much  better  provided  with  all  kinds  of  profess¬ 
ional  skill  than  of  mechanical.  The  professions  of  Law  and 
Medicine  are  largely  represented ;  but  good  Blacksmiths,  Car¬ 
penters,  Masons  and  Shoemakers,  would  find  abundant  em- 
•  ployment. 

A  good  man,  with  either  a  profession  or  a  trade,  can  easily  and 
profitably  carrjr  on  a  small  farm  or  garden,  thus  saving  all  lost 
time,  and  contributing  to  the  necessary  expenses  of  his'  mmily. 


54 


EXPENSE  OF  LIVING. 


An  erroneous  notion  seems  widely  prevalent,  that  the  neces¬ 
sary  household  expenses  of  a  family,  living  in  Florida,  are  enor¬ 
mous  ;  and,  no  doubt  one  who  comes  here  for  a  short  time  and 
takes  up  his  abode  at  a  Hotel  or  Boarding-house,  'will  have 
reason  to  believe  there  is  good  foundation  for  the  notion  refer¬ 
red  to. 

Rents  arc  undoubtedly  high  in  the  larger  towns,  but  this  is 
partly  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs, 
social  and  political,  has  hitherto  prevented  the  investment  of 
capital  in  building,  and  the  supply  of  tenements  is  short,  and 
consequently  rents  are  correspondingly  high. 

There  are  also  one  or  two  more  of  the  leading  items  in  the 
expense  of  house-keeping,  that  are  unreasonably  high,  such  as 
flour,  sugar  and  pork ;  hut  with  these  exceptions,  the  necessary 
expenses  of  living  are  no  higher  here  than  at  the  North,  as  fish 
and  fresh  meats  are  correspondingly  cheap. 

At  our  request,  Mr.  Robert  B.  Crane,  a  leading  Grocer  and 
Provision  Dealer  on  Bay  Street,  in  the  City  of  Jacksonville, 
has  very  kindly  furnished  us  with  a  list  of  the  more  ordinary 
articles  required  in  keeping  house,  with  their  average  prices 
during  the  past  year.  Mr.  Crane  is  a  large  dealer,  and  a  man ' 
whose  character  gives  authority  to  any  statement  he  may  make : 


Flour,  ^  bbl.,. . .  .$11  @  $17  YeastPowders,^box,  20c.@  25c 

Pork,  “  “  ....  22  @  30  Hominy, . ^Ih,  5  @  6 

Bacon,  ribbed,  ^Ib,  15c.@17c.Meal,. . . .  ^  bush.,  160  @200 
crrriVd,‘‘  ‘‘  18  @20  Tea,  Japanese,  ^ lb,  150 
17  “  Old  Hyson, “  175 

15  Young  ‘‘  “  “  140 

20  “  Com.  Black‘'‘  “100 

20  “  Gunpowd.,  “  “  200 

25  @  30  Soap,  Babbitt’s,  “  “  20 

42  @  50  “  Yellow,  “  “  15 

j  Roast  &  -.y  Peaches,  2^  cans, 

I  ground,  “  101b  “ 

50  Soda,  Baking,  . . 

60  “  AVashing, . 

Pickles,  1  gall,  jars,  1,25  Codfish, . 

“  “  “  75  Butter, . 

Hams,  covered,  ^ lb  20  @22  Vinegar, ...  .^gal.,  60  @100 

naked,.. 15  @20  Syrup, “  “  75  @150 

Should’rs,  smok.“  “  14  @18  Molasses,...  “  “  60  @100 


a 

Sugar,  Cof.  “C”,“  “ 

“  BroAvn,  “  “ 

“  Crushed,  “  “ 

“  Pulv’d,  “  “ 

Coffee,  Rio, . . .  “ 

Java, . .  “ 


a 


a 


Pepper,  Avhole,  “  “ 
grou’d, 


a  n 


50 

300 

20 

10 

10 

50  @  70 


Yeast  Cakes,  ^pkge,  25 


Peaches,  dried,  “  .30  @.  40 


« 


55 


’  Apples,  dried,  ^  fb  15c@  20c.Brooms, . each,  25c@  50c 

Lard, . “  20  @  25  Pepper  Sauces, -  25 

Eggs, . '^doz.  30  @  50  Ketchup, .  25  @  40 

Corn, . ^  bush. 150  @170 

In  a  country  where  the  owner  of  a  few  acres  of  land,  worth 
not  exceeding  85  per  acre,  having  100  bushels  of  corn,  may 
raise  and  fat,  with  little  care  and  almost  no  other  expense,  a 
herd  of  swine  as  large  as  he  chooses,  and  where  salt  from  the 
Salt  Springs  or  from  sea- water  can  be  more  easily  manufactured 
than  elsewhere,  in  the  whole  world,  the  price  of  pork  is  exor¬ 
bitant.  And  the  same  is  equally  true  of  sugar.  No  where  on 
earth  can  sugar  be  raised  more  easily  or  more  abundantly.  The 
cane  does  well  everywhere  in  the  State,  and  on  Indian  River, 
and  in  South  Florida,  and  on  the  Gulf  Coast,  cane  grows  from 
five  to  ten  consecutive  years  without  replanting.  Yet  much  of 
the  Sugar  for  home  consumpti(j^i  in  the  State,  is  imported  from 
the  North;  thus  out-doing  in  absurdity  the  “carrying  of  coals 
to  Newcastle.” 

But  with  one  or  two  such  exceptions,  it  is  apparent  from  the 
inspection  of  the  list,  that  the  ordinary  expenses  of  living  arc 
not  larger  than  the  average  in  even  the  older  of  the  States. 

And  even  the  apparent  expenses  of  sustaining  a  family  are 
largely  diminished  in  the  case  of  those  who  live  out  of  the  vil¬ 
lages  upon  farms,  by  the  facility  with  which  a  cow  or  two,  a 
few  pigs,  and  a  large  stock  of  poultry  may  be  kept. 

For  a  man  of  family  with  small  means  there  is  no  cheaper 
country  than  Florida. 

NATURAL  RESOURCES  FOR  FERILIZERS. 

As  has  already  been  remarked,  the  soil  of  most  of  the  State 
is  light  and  sandy  upon  the  surface,  although  much  of  it  is 
underlaid  by  clay  or  marl,land  at  no  great  depth.  Hence,  to 
the  intelligent  immigrant  the  natural  and  convenient  resources 
for  manures,  if  any,  of  the  region  will  be  investigated. 

The  first  and  most  Avidely  distributed  means,  for  restoring 
and  invigorating  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  Avhenever  exhausted, 
is  furnished  by  the  swamps  and  lagoons  and  cypress  sinks  that 
may  be  found  in  all  sections.  In  many  of  the  swamps  and 
lagoons  are  to  be  found  large  and  accessible  deposits  of  what  is 
called  muck,  which  at  the  Avill  and  leisure  of  the  farmer  may 
be  drawn  out  and  applied  directly  to  the  land,  or  may  be  com¬ 
posted  Avith  lime,  ashes,  salt  or  manures,  and  thus  improved 
becomes  available  to  almost  any  desirable  extent.  In  many  of 
the  sinks  or  depressions  Avhere  the  cypress  is  found  are  similar 
deposits  of  vegetable  mould  or  muck,  and  these  sinks  are 
scattered,  of  various  sizes,  throughout  the  State, 


f 


56 


Along  the  rivers,  and  the  banks  of  many  of  the  lakes,  also,  • 
are  to  be  found  very  large  and  numerous  deposits  of  muck  or 
mud.  Experience  in  Florida  has  proved  that  the  muck  used 
as  a  fertilizer,  under  proper  management,  becomes  an  exceed¬ 
ing  valuable  article,  and  it  is  to  be  found  in  immense  quanti¬ 
ties  in  every  section. 

There  is  reason  also  to  believe  that  the  clay  itself  which  lies 
underneath  and  close  to  the  surface  of  a  very  large  proportion 
of  the  sandy  regions  of  the  State,  is  of  itself  one  of  the  best 
fertilizers  when  applied  to  and  mixed  directly  with  the  sandy 
surface  soil.  No  sufficient  and  reliable  experiments  in  this  di¬ 
rection  have  been  announced,  but  it  is  reasonable  that  such  an 
admixture  of  soils  of  different  characters  will  be  as  beneficial 
here  as  at  the  North,  where  it  has  been  eminently  successful. 

The  immense  deposits  of  oyster  shells  that  are  characteristic 
of  the  whole  coast  line,  located  in  the  immediate  Aucinity  of 
dense  forests  giving  ample  stores  of  fuel,  form  another  of  the 
sources  of  agricultural  strength  of  incalculable  value,  that  will 
be  more  and  more  appreciated. 

Inland,  upon  the  banks  of  the  rivers  and  lakes,  and  some¬ 
times  quite  inland,  are  to  [be  seen  frequent  accumulations  of 
shells — periwinkle  and  conch — in  great  bulk,  and  also  of  great 
value,  being  already  through  the  operation  of  the  elements,  per¬ 
fectly  adapted  to  immediate  and  profitable  use.  These  shell 
mounds”  are  often  of  gTeat  bulk,  forming  very  respectable 
hills,  Avhose  origin  has’excited  much  inquiry  and  speculation. 
Some  of  the  shell  mounds  on  the  banks  of  the  upper  St.  Johns 
are  20  and  30  feet  in  depth,  and  near  the  mouth  are  oyster- 
shell  mounds  that  are  higher  still  and  cover  acres  of  land. 


Marl,  likewise,  of  various  character  and  value,  is  easily  acces¬ 
sible  in  different  parts  of  the  State.  There  are  several  large 
deposits  within  25  miles  of  Jacksonville,  and  a  recent  discovery 
has  revealed  the  existence  of  a  very  large  deposit  of  green  marl, 
in  the  Countv  of  Leon.  Mithoiit  doubt  an  abundance  of  this 


valuable  material  will  be  discovered,  whenever  a  scientific  in¬ 
vestigation  in  this  direction  shall  be  made. 

Thus,  it  is  evident,  that  with  abundant  and  accessible  sup¬ 
plies  of  clay,  lime,  marl  and  muck,  under  any  reasonably  skill¬ 
ful  agricultural  management,  an  improvement  rather  than  a 
deterioration  of  the  capacity  of  the  soil  may  be  expected. 


INSECTS  AND  REPTILES. 


It  is  not  true  that  Florida  is  infested  to  an  unusual  degree 
by  reptiles  or  insects.  It  is  true  that  in  localities  particularly 
adapted  to  the  support  of  insect  and  reptile  life,  there  are  a. 
good  number  of  Sand-flies  and  Musquitoes,  and  that  in  certain 
scattered  localities  there  are  to  bo  found  the  Iiattle-snake  and 


the  Moccason,  and  a  variety  of  haiTnless  snakes.  It  is  also 
true  that  in  the  lagoons  and  rivers  there  are  multitudes  of  Alli¬ 
gators. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  well  known  in  Florida  that 
there  are  not  nearly  as  many  Battle-snakes  as  there  are  in 
some  parts  of  New  ilngland  even,  though  the  snakes  of  Florida 
are  larger  in  size.  The  writer  has  passed  over  a  large  portion 
of  Florida  within  the  year,  and  has  travelled  many  score  of 
miles  on  foot,  through  the  woods  in  different  parts  of  the  State, 
and  has  yet  to  meet  the  first  Battle-snake  or  Moccason  in  a  wild 
state.  Many  old  residents  say  that  it  is  comparatively  rai’C  to 
meet  a  venomous  snake.  Month  after  month  passes,  and  no 
rumor  of  any  injury  from  the  bite  of  a  snake  is  heard  ;  and 
many  a  northerner  is  heard  to  declare  that  they  do  not  see  as 
many  snakes  here  as  at  the  North. 

Along  the  rivers  and  swamps  there  are  Musquitoes  in  quan¬ 
tities,  beyond  a  question,  hut  this  is  as  true  of  swani})S  tlirough- 
out  the  country. 

Solon  Bobinson,  in  one  of  his  letters,  says  that  he  has  known 
them  as  bad  North  and  West,  and  even  worse,  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  New  York.  They  are  an  undeniable  nuisance,  hut 
no  more  so  in  Florida  than  in  half  the  United  States. 

In  many  sections,  it  is  true,  that  Aligators  abound,  some  of 
them  attaining  very  great  size — but  they,  although  not  attract¬ 
ive  in  appearance,  are  in  fact  practically  harmless,  as  few  if  any 
instances  of  their  meddling  with  any  human  being  are  heard 
of,  even  in  tradition. 

Fleas  are  an  abounding  afliiction  during  some  three  months 
in  the  year,  but  no  worse  here  than  in  many  other  })laces. 

Cockroaches,  like  the  poor,  are  with  us  always. 

It  is  not  denied  that  insects  and  reptiles  abound  in  Florida ; 
but  it  is  asserted  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  this  asser¬ 
tion  is  no  more  true  of  Florida  than  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
South  particularly,  and  therefore  should  be  no  cause  of  special 
objection  against  her.  Indeed  the  annual  burning  of  the  grass 
effectually  prevents  the  rapid  increase  of  reptiles  of  all  kinds. 

POLITICAL  CONDITION  AND  PBOSPECTS. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  the  State  Government  was  reor¬ 
ganized  under  the  auspices  of  President  Johnson,  and  as  super- 
vized  by  the  military  authorities  has  been  continued  under  the 
Beconstruction  legislation  of  Congress.  The  political  and 
social  condition  of  the  people  has  been,  perhaps,  better  than  in 
any  of  the  seceding  States,  and  instances  of  outrage  have  been 
rare.  The  opposition  to  the  reconstruction  policy  of  Congress 
has  been  less  violent  and  less  general  than  in  any  other  South¬ 
ern  State,  and  the  resumption  of  friendly  relations,  political, 

6 


58 


social  and  financial,  with  the  other  States,  is  regarded  with  very 
general  satisfaction. 

The  Convention  elected  under  the  legislation  of  Congress 
assembled  at  the  Capitol  on  the  20th  day  of  January,  1868, 
and  after  a  brief  session  completed  their  w’ork  by  the  formation 
of  a  State  Constitution,  which,  on  being'  submitted  to  the  peo¬ 
ple,  was  ratified  by  a  large  majority.  The  Constitution  having 
been  approved  by  Congress,  and  all  the  conditions  of  the  recon¬ 
struction  acts  having  been  complied  with,  Florida  has  been 
readmitted  to  the  National  Councils,  and  has  resumed  her 
appropriate  position  among  her  sister  States. 

The  new  Constitution  of  Florida  has  been  criticised  severely, 
as  was  to  be  expected,  and  grave  objections  have  been  made  to 
some  of ‘its  provisions;  but  on  the  whole  we  believe  it  will 
compare  favorably  with  the  Constitutions  of  the  other  States, 
and  that  under  it  none  of  the  rights  of  the  people  can  be  with¬ 
held  or  impaired. 

The  Executive  power  of  the  State  is  vested  in  a  Governor, 
who  is  elected  for  four  years.  The  Legislative  power  is  vested 
in  a  Senate  and  Assembly.  The  former  consists  of  twenty-four 
members  elected  for  four  years ;  the  latter,  of  fifty-three  mem¬ 
bers  elected  for  two  years.  The  first  Tuesday  after  the  first 
Monday  in  November  is  designated  for  the  election  of  State 
and  County  Officers  and  Members  of  the  Legislature.  Annual 
sessions  of  the  Legislature  are  to  be  held  commencing  on  the 
first  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  January. 

The  Judicial  powder  is  vested  in  a  Supreme  Court,  Circuit 
Courts,  County  Courts  and  Justices  of  the  Peace.  The  State 
is  divided  into  seven  Circuits.  Two  terms  of  the  Circuit  Court 
are  held  yearly  in  each  County.  The  Supreme  Court  is  to  be 
held  at  the  Capitol  of  the  State. 

There  are  some  features  of  the  new  Constitution  that  are 
eminently  worthy  of  notice. 

iBt,  It  secures  immediate  and  absolute  civil  and  political  rights  to  all 
before  the  law,  irrespective  of  race,  color  or  condition.  Neither  the  words 
white  or  black,  are  to  be  found  in  the  instrument.  Its  spirit  is  that  of 
equal  right  and  impartial  justice  to  all. 

2d,  It  provides  with  the  utmost  liberality  for  a  noble  and  generous  and 
comprehensive  System  of  Education,  consisting  of  free  Public  Schools, 
Seminaries,  and  a  University,  equally  open  to  all,  and  depending  for  suf¬ 
ficient  support  upon  general  taxation  of  all  real  and  personal  property. 

3d,  It  makes  provision  for  a  uniform  and  equable  assessment  of  all 
property  of  every  description  in  the  State,  and  for  a  just  and  equal  taxa¬ 
tion  of  the  same. 

4th,  It  relieves  the  persons  of  the  poor  almost  entirely  from  taxation, 
by  limiting  the  capitation  tax  for  any  and  all  purposes  to  one  dollar  per 
annum,  thus  throwing  the  burden  of  taxation  mainly  upon  the  property 


\ 


5th,  It  exempts  a  liberal  Homestead  and  a  generous  allowance  of  per¬ 
sonal  property  ;  "A  Homestead  to  the  extent  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
“  acres  land,  or  the  half  of  one  acre  within  the  limits  of  any  inccorporated 
“city  or  town,  owned  by  the  head  of  a  family  residing  in  this  State, 
“  together  with  one  thousand  dollars  worth  of  personal  property  shall 
“  be  exempted  from  forced  sale  under  any  process  of  law.”  Such  is  the 
language  of  the  Constitution,  which  also  secures  the  mechanics’  and  la¬ 
borers’  lien  upon  property  to  which  his  labor  has  given  an  added  value, 
by  providing :  “But  no  property  shall  be  exempt  from  sale  for  taxes,  or 
“for  the  payment  of  obligations  contracted  for  the  purchase  of  said  prem- 
“  ises,  or  for  the  erection  of  improvements  thereon.” 

6th,  All  OfBcers  are  liable  to  impeachment  and  removal,  not  only  for 
the  usual  causes,  but  for  drunkenness,  gambling  and  conduct  detrimental 
to  good  morals. 

7th,  Bribery,  betting  and  duelling  exclude  from  suffrage. 

8th,  It  repudiates  forever  Secession  and  Slavery. 

9th,  It  extends  an  equal  participation  in  all  rights  and  privileges  to  all 
of  foreign  birth  who  have  declared  their  intention  to  become  citizens  of 
the  United  States. 

10th,  “  The  Legislature  shall  enact  laws  requiring  educational  qualifi- 
“  tions  for  electors  after  the  year  1880,  but  no  such  law  shall  be  made 
“  applicable  to  any  elector  who  may  have  registered  and  voted  at  any 
“  election  previous  thereto.” 

Such  are  some  of  the  leading  characteristics  of  the  new  Con¬ 
stitution,  wliich,  as  before  remarked,  will  compare  not  unfa¬ 
vorably  with  that  of  any  other  State. 

The  return  of  Florida  to  its  normal  condition,  as  one  of  the 
Galaxy  of  States  which  make  up  the  American  Union,  with 
the  prospect  of  a  peaceful  and  permanent  Government  in  the 
future,  will,  ^ve  believe,  induce  thousands  to  turn  their  atten¬ 
tion  in  this  direction,  who  have  heretofore  hesitated  either  to 
invest  capital  or  to  settle  in  our  midst. 

INDUCEMENTS  TO  IMMIGRATION. 

The  various  and  prominent  inducements  which  Florida  is 
now  offering  to  different  classes  of  immigrants  may  be  summed 
up  briefly  as  follows  : 

HEALTH. — Generally,  experience,  reason  and  statistics  all 
show  that  continued  health  may  he  anticipated,  with  as  good 
grounds  of  confidence  in  Florida  as  in  any  other  state  in  the 
Union ;  and  to  those  suffering  from  Pulmonary,  Catarrhal, 
Rheumatic,  or  Cutaneous  diseases,  the  climate  and  mineral 
waters  of  Florida  furnish  a  desirable  specific. 

It  can  he  proved  on  any  street  in  any  of  the  large  towns,  that 
men  who  were  weak  and  feeble  and  ailing  at  the  North,  have 
for  years  enjoyed  entire  exemption  from  serious  illness  here. 


60 


For  weak  lungs  and  exhausted  vigor,  no  portion  of  the  world 
can  give  better  hope  of  restoration  than  is  given  here. 

CHEAP  LAXD. — To  men  of  small  means,  no  considera¬ 
tion  will  be  given  to  the  fact  that  land  in  all  parts  of  the  State 
can  be  procured  at  very  low  prices.  Under  existing  laws, 
Florida  contains  eighty-acre  homesteads  for  more  than  two 
hundred  thousand  families.  She  has  many  millions  of  acres 
that  can  be  bought  for  fifty  cents  per  acre — and  improved 
ground  can  be  had  for  just  about  the  price  of  clearing,  while 
large  tracts  of  land,  suitable  for  the  establishment  of  colonies, 
can  be  had  upon  terms  that  should  satisfy  any  reasonable  man. 

EASE  OF  TILLAGE. — Except  in  case  of  new  hummuck, 
the  ease  and  rapidity  with  which  the  great  bulk  of  the  lands 
can  be  cultivated,  forms  another  and  very  important  induce¬ 
ment  to  settlers.  Lands  in  Florida  are,  as  a  rule,  worked  with 
less  of  force  than  anywdiere  at  the  North.  They  are,  whether 
loamy,  clayey,  or  sandy,  much  more  friable,  and  far  more  easily 
tilled.  Almost  all  the  ploAving  in  the  State  is  accomplished  by 
the  use  of  single  teams,  which  practice,  although  not  always 
to  be  commended,  still  indicates  the  facility  with  which  the 
soil  can  be  worked.  A  farmer,  with  a  single  horse  or  mule, 
can  accomplish  the  plowing  of  as  large  a  surface,  or  the  subse¬ 
quent  tending  by  means  of  the  plow  or  horse  hoe  in  Florida, 
in  three  days,  as  can  be  accomplished  by  the  use  of  the  same 
team  in  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  or  Massachusetts,  in  five 
days. 

WIDE  SCOPE  OF  CROPS.— Another  inducement  of  weight 
is  found  in  the  wide  possible  selection  of  crops,  to  which  the 
settler,  at  his  own  election,  may  turn  his  attention.  With 
almost  equal  hope  of  success,  he  may  raise  Rye,  Corn,  Oats, 
Rice,  Beans,  Peas,  or  Cotton,  Tobacco,  Sugar,  Indigo,  or  Irish 
Potatoes,  Sweet  Potatoes,  Yams,  Turnips,  Beets,  Carrots,  Cab¬ 
bages,  Rutabagas,  Melons,  Squashes,  Cucumbers :  or  go  largely 
into  fruits,  such  as  Oranges,  Limes,  Lemons,  Peaches,  Figs, 
Grapes  and  Plums ;  and  if  he  elects.to  settle  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  he  may  include  Cocoa-nut,  Pineapple,  Ba¬ 
il  anna,  Plantain,  Guava,  &c.,  &c. 

Certainly  it  would  be  difficult,  anywhere  within  the  bounds 
of  the  United  States,  or,  indeed,  anywhere,  but  in  Central 
America,  to  find  a  field  of  agricultural  labor,  offering  so  wide 
a  scope,  and  so  immense  a  variety  of  crops,  to  which  a  settler 
may  confidently  look  for  successful  labor  and  lucrative  returns. 

The  climate  and  duration  of  the  working  seasons,  too,  act  as 
powerful  inducements  to  any  who  have  been  accustomed  to  the 
long  and  severe  winters,  the  short  and  hurried  working  season^ 
and  the  immense  labor  involved  in  procuring  an  adequate  sup¬ 
ply  of  fuel  and  forage,  universally  characteristic  of  the  life  of 


61 


t 


the  farmer  at  the  North.  The  so-called  winter  in  Florida,  is 
the  precise  time  selected  for  the  leisurly  performance  of  all  ex¬ 
tra  work.  There  the  farmer  prepares  his  land  for,  and  sows 
his  crops,  while  in  NeAV  England,  with  frosted  fingers  the  po¬ 
tato  and  turnip  harvest  is  being  gathered.  There  he  harvests 
his  main  crops,  while  the  Northern  farmer  is  putting  in  his 
seed ;  then  resting  during  June,  July  and  Augustin  the  shade, 
he  has  nine  months,  and  in  a  pinch  may  have  twelve,  in  which 
to  carry  out  his  plans  in  a  cool  and  unhurried  manner,  wdiile 
a  few  days  are  sufficient  to  prepare  all  the  feed  required  in  a 
climate  so  mild  and  serene  as  almost  to  have  no  severity.  Suc¬ 
cessful  farming  North  must  be  a  continual  fretting  hurry  ;  in 
Florida  the  farmer  has  time  enough  to  spare. 

Another  strong  inducement  is  given  in  the  ease  with  which 
stock  of  all  kinds, — horses,  cattle,  swine  and  poultry — can  be 
raised ;  and  the  extent  to  which  this  business  in  some  parts 
may  be  carried  on  by  men  of  small  means.  With  unbounded 
range  over  the  immense  tracts  of  public  and  private  land,  scat¬ 
tered  everywhere  in  the  State,  there  is  hardly  a  necessary  limit 
to  the  amount  of  cattle,  horses,  and  hogs  that,  in  a  very  short 
space  of  time,  a  man  who  likes  that  business  might  easily  pos¬ 
sess.  Here  is  probably  the  best  cattle  and  hog  country  in  the 
world,  and  poultry  of  all  kinds,  wdth  little  cost  or  care,  may 
contribute  to  the  sustenance  and  income  of  every  family. 

LIGHT  WORK. — To  the  man  who  has  worn  himself  out 
in  breaking  up  new  land,  in  building  stone  wall,  in  digging 
stumps  and  putting  them  into  fence,  Florida  offers  an  agreeable 
change  in  the  invitation  she  extends  to  all  to  come  and  engage 
in  the  light  but  lucrative  work  of  raising  vegetables  and  fruit. 
This  is  probably  the  least  wearying,  the  most  agreeable,  and 
the  most  lucrative  kind  of  agriculture  that  was  ever  performed. 

Without  involving  much  severe  labor,  susceptible  of  infinite 
expansion  and  improvement,  and  offering  large  pecuniary  re¬ 
ward,  it  constitutes  an  inducement  which,  through  the  leisure 
it  offers,  and  the  gains  it  promises,  appeals  as  well  to  the  higher 
as  the  less  noble  impulses  of  humanity. 


62 


TROPICAL  FLORIDA. 

The  following  letter  was  WTitten  some  time  ago,  by  Hon.  W 
H.  Gleason,  Lieutenant  Goyernor  elect,  and  published  by  order 
of  Governor  Walker: 

His  Excellency  D.  S.  Walker,  Governor ; 

Sip., — Agreeable  to  your  request,  I  will  undertake  to  give  you  a  de¬ 
scription  of  the  southern  portion  of  Florida,  through  which  I  have  been 
traveling  for  the  past  few  months ;  its  products,  its  capabilities,  and  its 
resources.  My  examinationshave  been  confined  principally  to  that  portion 
of  the  State  south  of  the  Railroad  leading  from  Jacksonville  to  Cedar  Keys, 
and  rnore  particularly  south  of  the  28  ®  ot  latitude,  which  I  shall  denom¬ 
inate  as  Tropical  Florida, 

This  portion  of  the  State  comprises  an  area  of  20,000  square  miles,  and 
a  population  previous  to  the  war,  of  about  6,000  inhabitiants.  The  popu-  . 
lation  has  not  materially  diminished,  as  there  is  quite  an  emigration  tend¬ 
ing  in  that  direction,  and  is  sufficient  already  to  compensate,  for  its  losses 
occasioned  by  the  war.  About  one-half  of  this  population  reside  upon  the 
Island  of  Key  West  and  the  neighboring  keys  and  islands,  and  are  engaged 
in  the  business  of  wrecking  and  fishing,  while  a  large  proportion  of  the  re¬ 
maining  one-half  are  engaged  in  the  raising  of  cattle ;  farming  and  the 
growing  of  crops  has  hitherto  been  neglected,  and  has  been  confined  prin¬ 
cipally  to  small  patches  or  gardens  around  the  houses  of  the  woodsmen. 

The  raising  of  cattle  upon  the  main  land  is  the  all-absorbing  business  of  ^ 

the  inhabitants,  who  reside  from  30  to  40  miles  apart  and  allow  the  cattle 
to  graze  upon  the  public  domain.  As  the  food  disappears  in  one  place, 
they  change  to  another,  so  that  the  people  have  become  migratory  in  ■ 

their  habits.  . 

The  raising  of  cattle  upon  the  plains  and  prairies  of  this  portion  of  the 
State  is  a  profitable  business.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  men,  who  a 
few  years  ago  had  no  means,  that  are  now  the  owners  of  from  two  to  ten 
thousand  head  of  cattle,  and  this,  after  furnishing  large  numbers  to  the  ’ 

armies  of  Lee  and  Johnston.  The  country  is  divided  into  hummocks, 
pine  openings  and  prairies ;  the  hummocks  are  very  rich  and  are  covered 
over  with  a  dense  growth  of  timber  consisting  of  live  and  water  oaks, 
magnolia,  bay  and  a  variety  of  other  hard-wood  timber.  The  soU  is  sandy 
and  mixed  with  marl  and  limestone.  The  pine  openings  are  covered 
with  scattering  pines,  and  a  grass  which  affords  fine  pasturage.  The  soil 
is  sandy  and  not  as  desirable  as  the  hummock  lands  or  prairies.  The 
prairie  lands  occupy  the  interior  portion  of  the  State,  bordering  upon 
the  Kissimee  river,  the  head  waters  of  the  St,  Johns,  and  the  upper  Coloo- 
sahatchee  The  soil  is  a  rich  sandy  alluvium,  and  they  are  covered  over 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  grass,  and  from  their  appearance  must  be  very 
productive  ;  they  are  dotted  over  with  small  clumps  of  hummocks,  con¬ 
taining  from  one  to  five  acres  each,  •which  give  beauty  and  variety  to  the 
scenery,  and  afford  shelter,  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  to  innumerable 
herds  of  deer  and  cattle.  There  also  numerous  small  lakes,  of  pure  water 
filled  with  fish,  some  of  which  are  only  a  few  rods  in  extent,  while  others 
are  from  two  to  ten  miles  in  length.  These  prairies  are  the  paradise  of 
the  herdsmen  and  the  hunters. 

The  cattle  require  no  feeding  during  the  winter,  and  one  can  hardly 
travel  over  the  prairies  a  whole  day  without  seeing  from  50  to  100  deer. 

The  Savannas  which  border  upon  the  Everglades  and  Biscayene  Bay  are  m- 
undated  during  the  rainy  season,  from  an  overflow  from  the  Everglades, 
and  as  the  water  subsides,  there  is  left  a  debris  from  one-fourth  to  one- 


\ 


(53 


half  inch  in  depth  ;  this  process  has  been  j^oing  on  for  centuries,  and  has 
provided  one  of  the  richest  soils  in  the  world.  The  rich  lands  which  skirt 
the  Savannas  upon  the  coast  side  are  covered  with  rotten  limestone,  and 
have  mixed  with  the  vegetable  matter  to  that  extent,  that  the  soil  will 
efifervecse  as  soon  as  it  comes  in  contact  with  acids.  These  Savannas  are. 
valuable  for  sugar  plantations,  as  the  sugar  cane  requires  a  large  per 
centage  of  lime,  and  the  climate  is  so  mild  that  the  cane  will  not  require 
planting  oftener  than  once  in  ten  or  twelve  years.  The  Palma  Christi, 
or  Castor  Bean,  is  here  perennial,  and  grows  to  be  quite  a  tree.  I  saw 
quite  a  number  as  large  as  peach  trees,  twenty  feet  high.  Sea-Island 
cotton  seems  to  be  a  yjerennial  in  this  section  of  the  State,  and  is  of  a  fine 
quality.  The  pure  water,  the  chalybeate  and  other  mineral  springs,  the 
magnificent  beauty  of  its  scenery,  the  salubrity  and  equability  of  its  cli¬ 
mate,  must  make  Biscayene  Bay,  at  no  distant  day,  the  resort  of  the  in¬ 
valid,  the  tourist  and  the  lover  of  adventure.  The  Bay  is  filled  with 
Green  Turtle  and  a  variety  of  fish,  and  indeed  the  entire  coast  of  Tropical 
Florida  is  one  immense  fishery.  At  Charlotte  Harbor  we  found  quite  a 
number  engaged  in  fishing  with  seines  ;  the  value  of  the  fish  caught 
averages,  per  hand,  for  the  season  (three  months)  $600.  I  doubt  if  any 
fishery  pays  better.  The  fisheries  of  Charlotte  Harbor  could  profitably 
give  employment  to  1,000  persons;  and  the  fisheries  at  Sarasota  and 
Indian  River,  are  equally  as  good.  Every  river,  creek  and  lake  seems 
to  be  alive  with  fish,  and  oysters  are  found  in  great  abundance  at  differ¬ 
ent  places,  all  along  the  coast. 

All  that  portion  of  the  State  Avhich  I  have  denominated  tropical  Flor¬ 
ida,  is  capable  of  producing  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  arrow-root,  cassava, 
indigo,  sisal  hemp,  sugar  cane,  sea-island  cotton,  rice,  figs,  melons  of  all 
kinds,  as  well  as  the  vegetables  grown  in  the  more  Northern  States. 
The  country  around  Charlotte  Harbor,  and  Biscayeno  Bay,  is  susceptible 
also  of  producing  cocoanuts,  cocoa,  pine-apples,  guavas,  coflee,  bananas, 
plantains,  alligator  pears,  and  all  the  fruits  and  plants  of  the  West 
Indies. 

Like  all  other  tropical  countries,  tropical  Florida  has  its  wet  and  dry 
season.  The  wet  or  rainy  season,  is  during  midsummer,  which  has  a 
tendency  to  cool  the  atmosphere,  and  render  the  summer  months  cooler 
than  it  is  in  the  more  Northern  portions  of  the  State,  or  in  other  por¬ 
tions  of  the  South  ;  during  the  rainy  season  nearly  the  whole  country  is 
flooded,  the  country  being  so  fiat  and  level  that  the  water  does  not  flow 
off  readily.  A  great  portion  of  the  country  requires  ditching  and  drain¬ 
ing,  and  when  some  systematic  method  shall  be  adopted  to  let  off*  the 
surplus  water  during  the  rainy  season,  this  portion  of  the  State  will  prove 
the  most  productive  part  of  the  South.  It  has  but  few  swamps  or  marshes, 
unless  you  consider  the  Everglades  a  marsh.  They  can  hardly  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  such,  but  more  properly  a  lake.  The  water  is  from  six  inches 
to  six  feet  in  depth,  is  perfectly  clear,  and  is  grown  up  with  grass,  pond 
lilies,  and  other  aqueous  plants.  The  Alpativkee  swamp,  upon  the  head 
waters  of  the  St.  Lucie  river,  is  the  only  swamp  of  any  magnitude  in  trop¬ 
ical  Florida ;  and  this  part  of  the  State  has  less  swamps  than  Northern 
Wisconsin  or  Michigan.  The  country  north  of  the  28  ®  East  of  the  Saint 
Johns  river,  and  south  of  the  Rail  Road,  is  more  thickly  settled  than  the 
part  just  described.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  plantations  under  cul¬ 
tivation,  and  more  attention  is  paid  to  agriculture.  The  lands  are  more 
rolling  than  the  countiy  farther  South,  and  produces  a  fine  quality  of  eea 
island  cotton,  which  is  the  principal  crop  raised.  It  produces  good  sugar, 
and  an  excellent  quality  of  tobacco.  Mchua,  Marion,  and  Hernando  are 
all  fine  countries  of  land  for  farming  purposes,  and  have  many  beautiful 
lakes.  The  country  east  and  south  of  the  St.  Johns  river,  has  more 


64 


swamps  tliaii  any  other  part  of  the  State  through  which  we  have  travel¬ 
ed.  They  are  principally  covered  with  cypress  timber,  and  being  easy 
of  access  from  the  St.  Johns  and  Indian  rivers,  are  valuable.  There  are 
fine  lands  upon  Halifax  river  Musquito  Lagoon,  which,  at  a  former  pe¬ 
riod,  were  under  cultivation,  but  were  abandoned,  during  the  Ihdian  war, 
by  their  owners.  I  think  that  there  is  no  part  of  the  South  that  offers  as 
great  inducements  to  the  emigrant  as  Florida.  The  salubrity  and  health¬ 
fulness  of  its  climate,  the  equability  of  its  temperature,  its  accessibility, 
the  cheapness  of  its  lands,  the  ease  with  which  its  products  can  be  mar¬ 
keted,  are  inducements  which  are  not  to  be  overlooked  by  the  emigrant ; 
and  the  fact  that  Tropical  Florida  is  the  only  portion  of  the  United  States 
susceptible,  and  capable  of  producing  the  fruits  and  plants  of  the  West 
Indies,  needs  only  to  be  made  known,  for  an  emigration  to  settle  in  that 
direction,  to  a  sufficient  extent  to  supply  the  Northern  cities,  and  the  en¬ 
tire  North,  with  oranges,  lemons,  and  all  other  tropical  fruits. 

We  have  traveled  upwards  of  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  the  newest  and 
most  unsettled  portion  of  the  State  ;  M^e  have  mixed  freely  with  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  all  classes,  and  being  Northern  men,  and  wishing  to  learn  the  sen¬ 
timents  of  the  people,  as  w'ell  as  to  examine  the  country,  discussed  the 
leading  questions  of  the  day,  the  war  and  its  results,  negro  suffrage,  and, 
in  fact,  everything  connected  with  the  war  and  secession.  We  were 
everywhere  hospitably  received,  and  although  many  did  not  agree  with 
us  in  all  our  views,  all  agreed  that  hereafter  the  grievances  of  the  South 
or  of  any  portion  of  the  country,  must  be  settled  in  accordacce  with  law 
and  the  Constitution,  upon  the  floor  of  Congres^a,  and  not  by  a  resort  to 
arms.  An  emigration  from  the  North  will  be  welcomed  by  a  large  ma¬ 
jority  of  the  people,  and  almost  every  one  is  anxious  to  see  the  State  set-  T 

tied  up  and  fully  developed.  A  Northern  man  of  the  most  radical  views 
is  perfectly  safe  in  traveling  through  any  portion  of  Southern  Florida, 
and  to  give  fall  vent  to  his  ideas  and  sentiments.  The  people  have  no 
real  love  lor  the  North,  as  a  section  ;  but  they  will  treat  Northern  men  ^ 

with  respect  and  courtesy,  and  will  encourage  them  to  settle. 

All  seem  to  be  heartily  sick  of  the  war,  and  we  heard  no  expression  of 
hostility  to  the  general  government.  On  tha  contrary,  the  feeling  seems  ^ 

to  be,  upon  the  part  of  many  who  were  formerly  secessionists,  to  carry 
out  and  enforce  the  laws,  and  ’will  give  their  aid  and  sanction  in  so  doing. 

Like  all  new  countries  in  the  South  and  West,  the  lows  have  been  loosely 
carried  into  effect,  and  the  people  have  heretofore  been  in  the  habit  of 
settling  their  grievances  without  an  appeal  to  the  law,  but  things  as  near 
as  we  could  learn,  have  changed  for  the  better  in  that  respect  since  the 
war. 

Respectfully  voiirs, 

WM.  H.  GLEASON. 


OrixfiA  OF  TiPOGEAPHirAL  Erkors  will  be  noticed  in 

this  edition  of  the  Manual.  The  desire  of  hastening  the  inibli- 
(^ation  of  the  work,  which  was  already  delayed  by  causes  over 
which  the  publishers  had  no  control,  led  them  to  dispense  with 
reading  the  proof  sheets,  they  being  in  Florida  and  the  printing 
(lone  in  Vermont. 

'  The  instances,  however,  in  which  the  reader  will  be  unable  to 
supply  the  right  word,  or  make  out  the  proper  construction  of  a 
sentence,  will  be  found  very  rare. 


IMFORTA^TST 


TO 


FRUIT  GROWERS  &  IMMIGRANTS, 

«  FLORIDA  AGENCY, 

P.  J.  Berckman’s  “Fruitland  Nurseries,” 


•J 


AFOITSTA,  GEORGIA. 


The  ur.clovsigned  havirifj;  boon  ai)p('into(I  State  Agent  for  the  above  lelia- 
ble  nur8uri('S  will  fill  oideis  Ibr  all  varieties  of  trees  and  plants,  carefully 
and  j)romptly  at-list  juieis,  and  will  give  writtm  onnvem  to  all  inquiries  as 
to  Climate  Soil,  and  prices  of  Lands.  Strangers  visiting  Florida  are  invited 
to  call.  Catalogues  fm  nished  gratis. 

Address 

ROBPIRTC.  I.OWRV, 

IllUEHM.V  OuCHA.RI)S, 

ilaeksonville,  Plorirta. 


% 


t 


ife- 


TliE  BESa’  USTEAArSEAEEE,  IKT  THE  ST^TE. 

] PUBLISHED  WEEKT.Y  AND  SEMI-WEEKT.Y. 

As  an  Adv’eitising  IMcdium  The  Fi.ouida  Union  is  unsurpassed  by  any 
paper  in  Floiida.  It  has  the  largest  circulation  of  any  P'lorida  newspaper. 
n  ecial  attention  paid  to  statistics  ot  the  development  and  growth  of  the' 

terms: 

SEMI-WtlEKLY  (in  advance) — Ono  Year,  ^3.o0;  Six  Months,  ^2.00 


1  WEEKLY, 
I  .-d 


Vddrtss. 


2.50  ; 


1.50 


E.  IM.  CHEN  FA',  Editor  A  Publisher, 

Jacksonville,  t'la. 


ALL  WANTING  FABMH  IN  FLORIDA 


A; 


SIT  riJ)  HAVE  THE 


FLORIDA  REAL  ESTATE  REGISTER. 

to  any  adilress  on  recei[>t  of  a  stamp  to  pre-pay  postage.  Adilress^ 

L.  F.  T)E\YEY  &  CO. 


JU 


Jacksonville,  F'lorida. 


1 


j  ’I  ' 


